Public advocate raises considerations about supported residential amenities | Bendigo Advertiser

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VICTORIA’s attorney has raised “serious concerns” about the wellbeing of residents of assisted housing facilities that are “ill-equipped” to meet the complex needs of their residents. The comments come after the Bendigo-backed Bignold Park residential development notified residents last week to vacate it within 31 days. Attorney Colleen Pearce said her concerns were specifically about facilities that only charge the cost of the pension for housing and assistance. Related Content: Assisted Housing Residents Allowed 31 Days to Evict She said assisted housing services were originally designed as private accommodation with limited assistance for people who were frail and elderly but were not yet ready for home care. Instead, Dr. Pearce, they have become the standard institutions for people with disabilities and mental illness. She said the public attorney’s office has long advocated improvements in the sector and better regulation. Dr. Pearce requested an online public compliance register so anyone can assess the quality of care in a particular SRS. She said that visitors to the community were not automatically notified of compliance notices or measures against assisted housing facilities created by the state government. Instead, they had to visit facilities to see any notices the government required of them, said Dr. Pearce. Community visitors monitor services and facilities to protect the health, safety, wellbeing, and rights of people receiving mental health or disability services in prescribed premises. The 2019-20 Community Visitor Annual Report documented 65 cases of abuse and neglect in assisted housing facilities across Victoria. Other news: The report described a “fragmented approach” to SRS oversight, which left visitors to the community disappointed with a “leadership vacuum”. Community visitors called on Victoria’s Human Service Regulator – now under the oversight of the Department for Families, Fairness and Housing – to provide better regulatory guidance and practical advice to the services on how to meet their obligations. The report also warned that “low maintenance” SRSs are increasingly taking in residents with complex needs while lacking adequate support, knowledge or qualified staff. This could lead to a deterioration in the health of the residents. Dr. Pearce said visitors to the community attended the recent meeting to advise residents of the sudden closure of Bignold Park. Dr. However, Pearce said volunteers made their visits over the past year by phone so they wouldn’t have seen everything they would normally do. Over the 2019-20 period, Victoria registered around 130 assisted housing services caring for people with disabilities, mental disorders and the elderly. These institutions are the responsibility of the state. Nursing homes for the elderly, for which the federal government is responsible, are routinely checked by the Commission for Quality and Safety in Elderly Care and reports are made publicly available. The Victoria’s Human Services Regulator is responsible for overseeing the assisted housing facilities but does not make its reports public. Our journalists work hard to deliver local, breaking news to the community. Here’s how you can access our trusted content:

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VICTORIA’s attorney has raised “serious concerns” about the well-being of residents of assisted living facilities that are “ill-equipped” to meet the complex needs of their residents

Attorney Colleen Pearce said her concerns were specifically about facilities that only charge the cost of the pension for housing and assistance.

She said assisted housing services were originally designed as private accommodation with limited assistance for people who were frail and elderly but were not yet ready for home care.

Instead, Dr. Pearce, they have become the standard institutions for people with disabilities and mental illness.

She said the public attorney’s office has long advocated improvements in the sector and better regulation.

Dr. Pearce requested an online public compliance register so anyone can assess the quality of care in a particular SRS.

She said that visitors to the community were not automatically notified of compliance notices or measures against assisted housing facilities created by the state government.

Instead, they had to visit facilities to see any notices the government required of them, said Dr. Pearce.

Community visitors monitor services and facilities to protect the health, safety, wellbeing, and rights of people receiving mental health or disability services in prescribed premises.

The 2019-20 Community Visitor Annual Report documented 65 cases of abuse and neglect in assisted housing facilities across Victoria.

The report described a “fragmented approach” to SRS oversight, whereby visitors to the community were disappointed with a “leadership vacuum”.

Community visitors called on Victoria’s Human Service Regulator – now under the oversight of the Department for Families, Fairness and Housing – to provide better regulatory guidance and practical advice to the services on how to meet their obligations.

The report also warned that “low maintenance” SRSs are increasingly taking in residents with complex needs while lacking adequate support, knowledge or qualified staff.

This could lead to a deterioration in the health of the residents.

Dr. Pearce said visitors to the community attended the recent meeting to advise residents of the sudden closure of Bignold Park.

Dr. However, Pearce said that volunteers made their visits over the past year by phone so they wouldn’t have seen everything they would normally do.

Over the 2019-20 period, Victoria registered around 130 assisted housing services caring for people with disabilities, mental disorders and the elderly. These institutions are the responsibility of the state.

Nursing homes for the elderly, for which the federal government is responsible, are routinely checked by the Commission for Quality and Safety in Elderly Care and reports are made publicly available.

The Victoria’s Human Services Regulator is responsible for overseeing the assisted housing facilities but does not make its reports public.

Our journalists work hard to deliver local, breaking news to the community. Here’s how you can access our trusted content: