Royal Freemasons has announced that after a site audit of its residential aged care home in Sale on November 22, the Aged Care Quality Safety Commission (ACQSC) has recommended to the Commissioner that the home be reaccredited as fully compliant.
Whilst yet to be officially passed down by the Commissioner, Royal Freemasons chief executive officer, John Fogarty, said staff were absolutely thrilled the ACQSC had made recommendations that the home at Sale be made fully compliant. “It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, who have been absolutely committed to making sure the home meets the National Aged Care Quality Standards of providing high-quality care to our residents,” he said.
In April this year, Royal Freemasons Sale received sanctions for three months after an assessment found the home was not meeting the Aged Care Quality Standards relating to staffing, care planning and consultation, and the management and documentation of complex clinical care. The sanction expired in July.
In response to the sanction, the home appointed a nurse adviser to help them meet the standards, as well as an education and clinical support manager to conduct care consultations with residents and their families.
These consultations were also supported by a clinical care specialist and other clinical staff. An education plan for staff was implemented to provide targeted training in clinical care, privacy, dignity, and resident choice.
The home also continues to undertake regular resident and family meetings to encourage transparency and ongoing feedback.
Mr Fogarty said when sanctions were placed on a home, it was a real challenge to steer it back to full compliance in time for subsequent audits. “Most homes will still have ‘unmets’ after receiving sanctions, so we are very proud of what our staff have achieved in such a short period of time,” he said.
While staffing remains a critical concern in the health care sector, Royal Freemasons Sale is taking admissions and now has 79 residents.
