Govt to probe Qld aged care home's closure
The federal government has promised to investigate a Gold Coast aged-care home that abruptly shut down, forcing the evacuation of about 70 residents.
Patient records, drugs and even food supplies were stripped from Earle Haven Retirement Village at Nerang on Thursday after a contractual dispute between the village's owner, People Care, and the aged-care wing operator, HelpStreet.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said it appeared a subcontractor trusted to nurse, feed and support the home's high-care residents withdrew all services without notice and stripped the facility.
He said it was "simply unacceptable" and vowed to bring the full force of possible action onto those who left the residents in such a "terrible" position.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said he was disgusted residents faced a distressing 11-hour operation to find them emergency beds elsewhere, and called their evacuation a "rescue".
He said staff called triple-zero to report the situation about 2pm on Thursday, and paramedics and health workers faced a chaotic scene when they arrived.
Bedridden residents, some with dementia, didn't have the level of care they needed, even though some staff stayed behind to look after them.
An Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission assessment team, along with the Department of Health, is now at the facility.
