An aged care facility at the centre of Queensland's deadliest COVID-19 outbreak has been accused of neglecting a resident who is now in hospital with serious leg injuries after falling from a second-floor balcony.
The woman, in her late 70s, was taken to hospital with a left leg "dislocation or fracture" and other injuries after the February 2 incident at Jeta Gardens in Logan, south of Brisbane.
She fell on the same day the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) declared residents at the nursing home were at "immediate and severe risk" as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
A computer screenshot of a Jeta Gardens incident report, obtained by the ABC, lists "neglect" as a contributing factor.
The ABC has been told by several sources that the woman, who has a history of anxiety and depression, fell from the balcony after she failed to receive her regular pain medication on time.
Only a registered nurse can deliver the pain drugs and, on that particular day, just one registered nurse was rostered on to care for more than 160 residents.
Staff deeply concerned about residents' wellbeing: union
Jeta Gardens is the subject of an ACQSC non-compliance notice dating back to last October.
Its report into Jeta Gardens found the facility did not "consistently demonstrate that each consumer gets safe and effective personal care, clinical care, or both personal care and clinical care".
"It does not appear that the number or mix of staff is appropriate to ensure that safe and quality care is consistently delivered to consumers," the report said.
Queensland Nurses and Midwives' Union's Beth Mohle said her organisation had been made aware of "a particularly disturbing incident at the facility", which had been reported to the ACQSC.
The commission has confirmed that it received a notifiable incident report from Jeta Gardens under the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) last week.
Police have also confirmed they were aware of the incident.
Ms Mohle said Jeta Gardens staff were deeply concerned for the wellbeing of their colleagues and residents at the facility.
"The QNMU is providing member support," she said.
"Tragically, this is not an isolated situation. Elderly residents in private aged care facilities throughout Queensland and Australia have been experiencing unnecessary pain, suffering and premature death as a result of chronic understaffing for years."
Ms Mohle said the union had raised issues regarding staffing levels and dangerous workloads at Jeta Gardens with both ACQSC and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland last year.
She said union members working at the facility had also filed workload grievance forms with both Jeta Gardens and ACQSC.
The QNMU has made repeated calls to the federal government for mandated nurse-to-resident ratios in private aged care.
"COVID-19 and the associated horrific outcomes are a direct result of the federal government's refusal to introduce safe staffing laws in private aged care — for which they are responsible," Ms Mohle said.
"How many elderly Australians must suffer unnecessarily, or die prematurely, before real change is made?"
In a statement last night, Jeta Gardens chief executive Wesley Carter did not answer specific questions put to him by the ABC but said that, on behalf of all staff and residents at the facility, "we are deeply sorry and concerned for the welfare of one of our residents under our care".
"The resident is currently being treated at a Brisbane hospital with multiple injuries and is settled as a ward patient," Mr Carter said.
"Our priority is to continue to communicate directly with the family and current care facility to ensure that all of this resident's needs are met, and that we are providing all consideration and support to her family during this stressful time.
"The residents of Jeta Gardens miss her deeply and are looking forward to having her back at her home where she belongs."
'Commonwealth should have known'
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said she had been watching the unfolding situation at Jeta Gardens very closely.
"We've been getting regular reports on Jeta Gardens, I am hearing that it's starting to stabilise, more staff are starting to come back into the workplace now from quarantining and isolating."
She said she has asked her staff to investigate when her department first engaged in discussions with the Commonwealth about the facility.
"The regulator body deemed this a high-risk site the day we notified the Commonwealth at a senior level, now they should have absolutely known about this," she said.
"Why is it at that point that the regulator then deemed it high-risk when I understand that the facility had been given a breach back in August?"
She said at least a third of Queensland hospital and health services were voluntarily doing in-reach vaccinations at aged care facilities.
Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was looking forward to discussing issues within the aged care sector at National Cabinet this afternoon.
Almost all nursing staff have returned
Jeta Gardens has been at the centre of Queensland's biggest and deadliest COVID-19 outbreak in an aged care facility, with 100 residents and 82 staff infected.
So far, 15 of its residents have died from COVID-19 since the facility declared an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus on Christmas Eve.
Yesterday, a Jeta Gardens spokesperson said that "99 per cent of our nursing staff have returned to work at full capacity, with three staff remaining furloughed".
The aged care facility last week appointed a team of specialist clinical advisors, including consultant gerontologist Dr Drew Dwyer, to assist with "clinical governance, best practice infection prevention and control, and training to all staff".
"As we move forward out of this crisis management situation, Jeta Gardens will re-establish itself as a modern and contemporary aged care service," the spokesperson said.
Jeta Gardens is 57 per cent owned by KPJ Healthcare Malaysia.
