A QUEENSLAND aged care facility has denied claims it covered up the abuse of residents.
Carinity Baptist Community Services, which runs the Kepnock Grove facility at Bundaberg, said it thoroughly investigated complaints made last year that a resident with dementia had been allowed to bash other residents.
Carinity said the centre manager and regional manager left the aged care provider after the investigation and both had been referred to the Office of the Health Ombudsman.
The complainants’ families had been satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, it said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.
Carinity denied allegations made in The Australian newspaper today that the centre had covered up the abuse and that some of the bashings had resulted in death.
“This is unfounded and without any supporting evidence whatsoever,” the statement said.
“There is also no evidence to support a claim of serious injury attributable to neglect.
“We categorically reject the allegation that Carinity has engaged in any sort of cover-up.” Carinity said staff had since reviewed the clinical care for each resident, increased resourcing and made a raft of changes to systems and procedures.
Coralee O’Rourke, who will be sworn in today as Queensland’s new Minister for Seniors, said she had not yet had the opportunity to look into the matter, but it would be one of her first priorities.
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