Lyndoch Living concerns amid pandemic met with silence
Questions around two people from Melbourne entering Lyndoch and a delay in the issuing of masks to all staff have failed to produce a murmur from the Lyndoch board.
Carol Altmann – The Terrier
This past week has seen two extremely serious issues arise at Lyndoch Living aged care in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and yet the response from the board is a wall of silence.
First, Lyndoch only issued masks to all of its staff yesterday: 12 days after the Federal health minister declared masks mandatory for staff in all aged care homes in Victoria.
Second, Lyndoch allowed two people from Melbourne into its facility last Thursday and Friday, despite that city being in full lockdown and a declaration from the Victorian Chief Health Officer that, as of last Wednesday night, tightened access to aged care homes even further.
I asked the board members – chair and MPower CEO Kerry Nelson, hairdresser and W’bool City Councillor Sue Cassidy, accountant Kane Grant from Sinclair & Wilson, retired academic Rob Wallis, nursing academics Suzanne Coulson and Lorraine Mielnik, agriculturalist Ron Page, WCC manager Andrew Paton and real estate agent Percy Eccles – if they were concerned and if they intended to investigate.
Silence.
Not a single word.
I am not sure who the board represents, but it is clearly not the community.
We have not been given any explanation, or had any response to these concerns, from the CEO, the chair, or the board.
Lyndoch is community owned in theory, but it might as well be owned by Bupa.
Fortunately there are still people who will speak up for us and the most vulnerable people in our community in the face of this devastating pandemic.
South-west Victoria Upper House MP Bev McArthur said by email last night that she was “alarmed” by the allegations around people from Melbourne entering Lyndoch and would be investigating the matter further.
“There is no question that aged care facilities should have bulletproof infection control strategies, and we already have seen the tragic consequences of failures in this area,” she said.
“I will certainly contact the senior management of Lyndoch Living to ask for explanation of this apparent incident, and reassurance that proper controls are in place to protect vulnerable residents and indeed the whole local community.”
Local MP Roma Britnell was less direct. She suggested concerns about any breaches of the restrictions could be forwarded to the police.
As of today, Victoria is moving toward compulsory masks in public and even tighter restrictions on social contact and travel.
In this climate, I cannot understand why any aged care facility would be taking any risks unless it was absolutely unavoidable.
What is Lyndoch’s reasoning for its actions of the past week?
As it sits, we – the broader community – still have no answers to that question.
Covid-19 questions for Lyndoch Living
Carol Altmann – The Terrier
Given Covid-19 is gaining a terrifying grip on aged care homes in Victoria, I sent an email this morning to Lyndoch Living to find out why masks are not yet compulsory for all staff and all visitors.
I also wanted to find out why two professionals from Melbourne were allowed into Lyndoch Living last week, for what appears to have been non-essential, non-medical purposes.
Lyndoch has a ban on visitors who are from or have been in Melbourne.
This is the email:
Dear Lyndoch Media Unit,
I am hoping you can assist with the following questions:
I have had a number of people contact me these past four days in regard to the mask-wearing policy for staff and visitors at Lyndoch Living and why masks are not mandatory.
Can you outline why Lyndoch Living has not yet introduced a compulsory mask wearing policy for all staff given the Federal Government directive on 17 July that all aged care workers across Victoria would be required to do so?
Is one of the issues that there are not enough masks available to provide to all staff?
Also, concerns have been raised with me about two visitors to Lyndoch Living last week who were apparently from Melbourne and who stayed in the Waterfront Living complex.
I understand these same people had access to Swinton Wing, while wearing hard hats, which suggests they were not visiting Lyndoch for medical or aged care service related purposes, but related to the construction works at Swinton Wing.
Those who contacted me were understandably concerned that it appears people travelling from Melbourne were permitted into Lyndoch and Waterfront Living complex for non-essential purposes and in contravention of the current ban on Melbourne visitors.
I am hoping you can clarify the situation to put these concerns to rest.
Regards,
Carol
I will let you know if I get a response.
In the meantime, as I write this, there are 764 active cases of Covid-19 in aged care homes across Victoria.
According to the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, just under one fifth of Victoria’s 430 aged care facilities had been affected by C19.
Given the increase in C19 cases in south-west Victoria, Cobden Health moved in to full lock down eight days ago.
Mercy Place, in Warrnambool, also moved into temporary lockdown this week until at least tomorrow, with no new visitors other than those who already have visitation plans in place.
Moyne Health, Gillin Park, and Opal aged care have made it compulsory for staff to wear masks.
As Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says in his media release from 17 July above, the government has made another two million masks available to aged care and the disability sector.
As I said above, I will let you know if I get a response.
Lyndoch marks National Anti-Bullying Day with…bullying?
Carol Altmann – The Terrier
Today is National Anti-Bullying Day and Lyndoch Living has marked the occasion with a petition to shore up support for its CEO…who has been accused of bullying, intimidation and manipulation.
The petition didn’t encourage staff to demand action on the claims, but, instead, pledge allegiance to the CEO and ask the Lyndoch board to publicly acknowledge the staff’s fear love and isolation support.
Well of course! Pass the pen!
The poor staff – many of whom have already spilled their guts in the anonymous staff survey – didn’t know what to do.
Should they sign it – and declare a false allegiance – or shouldn’t they, and face being the next pinball to be metaphorically bounced off the walls until their head hurts?
If this is not bullying, then I have lost my judgment. I doubt this is even legal, but it is most definitely desperate.
Very desperate.
Speaking of legal, if anyone within Lyndoch was gathering material for a compensation claim against bullying and harassment, I suspect they would have photocopied this petition and added it straight to their file.
Because the Lyndoch staff have already spoken up against bullying as best they can.
More than 140 staff filled out an anonymous staff survey that was ordered via Lyndoch’s very expensive lawyers, K&L Gates, and compiled by a Melbourne consultancy called ‘Working Together’. (Ka-ching! $$ Ka-ching!)
The damning survey results were sent to the Lyndoch CEO in January and given to the Lyndoch board in February: they have read them, and done nothing.
As I wrote last night, 15 people in that survey said that:
“the CEO’s culture of intimidation, manipulation and bullying greatly impacted their safety, health and wellbeing. They said they witnessed her bullying others and making decisions in regard to her own self-interests and not the organisation as a whole.”
That is mind-blowing, but there is more.
Here is another snippet:
“Two thirds of (the 147) respondents said that in their opinion, Lyndoch’s values are not upheld within the organisation.
…there were issues in regard to the CEO specifically not upholding Lyndoch’s values, with a couple of respondents stating they have been directed by the CEO to ignore behaviour that is inconsistent to the values and for employees to just ‘deal with it’.”
So the CEO allegedly doesn’t uphold the values of Lyndoch and says the staff should ‘deal with it’.
Okaaay….
And here is another:
“Just under a quarter of respondents said that Corporate staff were not welcoming, that some Corporate staff would not help unless it benefited them and there was an ‘us and them’ mentality that impacted on all of Lyndoch’s values…This was seen to be behaviours from the CEO that filtered down.”
So the corporate staff have to “kiss up and kick down”. (thankyou, JD, for that line)
And one more:
“Comments were made in regard to people who were beneficial to the organisation being ‘pushed out’ due to the mismanagement of bullying behaviour they had either witnessed or endured. A few employees stated that there was a culture where individuals who reported bullying were ostracised and created a target on their back with upper management”.
All cheery stuff. Pass me the petition!
You get the picture and maybe one day the inner sanctum of Lyndoch Living might release the whole document so you can get the whole picture, but I doubt it.
They have more important things to do, like draw up petitions and hire a consultant to soak-rinse-wash-bleach-and-spin all of the bad news into good news, leaving the Lyndoch power base sparkly clean and stain free.
(A favoured consultant from out of town was seen leaving the Lyndoch building again today. I wonder why they were there?)
When there is a steady flow of the same allegations, things inevitably start to stick and it all, eventually, comes unstuck.
Now that powerful people are taking note, including MPs Roma Britnell and Dan Tehan, many people feel that day is fast approaching and, for the sake of our wonderful Lyndoch, I hope they’re right.
Happy National Anti-Bullying Day.
#nomorebullying #standup #speakout #staystrong
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Pressure point: MP acts on explosive Lyndoch staff survey
Carol Altmann – The Terrier
South West Coast MP Roma Britnell is taking action in response to a leaked copy of an explosive Lyndoch Living staff survey.
Could this be the moment when someone with power grabs the wheel and steers HMAS Lyndoch away from the iceberg?
Many of the long-suffering staff – past and present – will hope so.
Before I give you a snippet of the damning survey responses (brace yourself), I asked Ms Britnell if she had received a copy and what she intended to do about it.
She could have said, “sorry, Terrier-blogger-journo-social-media-brat, no comment”.
But, in a statement to The Terrier today, Ms Britnell said she was concerned, and that the survey mirrored issues raised by a number of people she had spoken to over recent months.
Ms Britnell said she will now meet with the Lyndoch board and CEO to ask what is being done. This is significant, because MPs don’t wade into troubled waters easily.
I can also confirm that the federal Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, has asked the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to investigate concerns raised earlier by constituents.
This, as we know, comes on top of growing unease among staff at the Warrnambool Medical Clinic, who – I suspect – are starting to understand why two GPs quit last April when that clinic was sold to Lyndoch Living for a total of $1.6m.
The WMC Practice Manager has also resigned and leaves in two weeks. (“Ahoy me hearties, iceberg ahead!”)
While the Lyndoch Living board continues to move deck chairs, the developing crisis around staff morale and Lyndoch’s direction rolls on.
First, here is what Ms Britnell had to say in full:
“I received a copy of the report via email on Tuesday morning and had some concerns about its contents.
I am now seeking a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of Lyndoch Living and Members of the Board to discuss these matters.
I also note I have been approached by several different people over the past few months who have shared with me concerns which relate to the matters contained in the report.
Lyndoch is a vital institution in our community and it’s really important it retains its long held reputation as a high quality home for the elderly and a great place to work.
That’s why it’s important concerns raised by staff or residents are appropriately addressed – that is information I will be seeking from the CEO and Board. “
One wonders how much longer the Lyndoch board can continue to deny the obvious, which leapt off the page in the leaked confidential staff survey.
Lyndoch received the survey results in January, they went to the board in February, but still it has done nothing to address the damning assessment of the CEO’s leadership that was contained within.
Here is a snippet which I believe people need to see in the public interest, not just the watered down version as reported in the Warrnambool Standard:
“A small sample of around 10-15 respondents stated that the CEO’s culture of intimidation, manipulation and bullying greatly impacted their safety, health and wellbeing. They said they witnessed her bullying others and making decisions in regard to her own self-interests and not the organisation as a whole.”
Read that again. Up to 15 people is not a “small sample”. That is shocking, especially when you consider the Lyndoch corporate area has about 40 staff in total.
For even one person to claim to be enduring the “CEO’s culture of intimidation, manipulation and bullying” is one too many.
To have 10 to 15 warm-blooded, real people feeling that their “safety, health and well-being” is suffering, is disgraceful.
And what has been done in response?
More tea? There is a sense the tea party may be coming to a close at Lyndoch in light of a leaked staff survey.
Instead of leaping into action, Lyndoch hired a consultant – yes, another big fat fee on the public dime – to offer the board a counter assessment of the results:
“Look, over there! Over there! Nothing to see here!”
In LyndochLand™ , it’s the fault of the senior staff, the older staff, the kitchen staff, the person who takes out the bins on a Friday, the woman walking past the Lyndoch Milk Bar, the person who posted a nasty comment on Facebook, a pesky little journalist….anybody, anybody, but the person at the very top of the tree.
Is that a cover up, pure spin or clever public relations?
I don’t know, but what I do know is that the board – at the end of the day – will wear any consequences of not acting decisively.
The board are the people who are at risk of serious reputational damage. In light of these survey results, they can no longer say that they didn’t know.
And it is poor Lyndoch, owned and loved by the community for 60 years, that could face both reputational and significant financial damage.
The iconic WMC was sold to Lyndoch Living last April as part of a $2 million buy up by Lyndoch.
On top of that, consider this: if the iconic Warrnambool Medical Clinic was to fall apart because of similar issues filtering into its workplace, then there is no more “goodwill” and Lyndoch will have paid close to $2 million* for fresh air.
All this before even a sod is turned on the new $12 million medical centre to be built at Lyndoch to house the WMC and up to 20 GPs.
The pushback against those who dare to speak up and out is enormous – it’s all just a “social media” beat up – and meanwhile the HMAS Lyndoch lurches ever closer toward the iceberg.
At least now Ms Britnell and Mr Tehan are helping to lower the lifeboats.
There is a Lyndoch board meeting next Tuesday: we can only hope that the board leaps in and starts paddling.
*The $2 million includes $1.6m for the WMC and $300,000 for the Health Spot, plus purchase fees and charges.
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Attack dog: when Lyndoch sent its lawyers after The Terrier
Carol Altmann – The Terrier
A lot of people have asked me lately whether I was sued for defamation by Lyndoch Living CEO Doreen Power and if it all ended up in court.
The answers are: yes and no. Let me explain.
After I wrote a series of four stories late last year about my concerns around Lyndoch, its direction, and its leadership, I received a letter from Melbourne law firm K&L Gates, who represent Lyndoch Living.
(The Gates part, by the way, relates to the firm’s founder, the father of US billionaire Bill Gates, so this was not some tin pot law joint with broken blinds and wonky lampshades, but a downtown Collins St law firm with city views and a serious letterhead.)
K&L Gates wrote that they were acting on behalf of the Lyndoch CEO who was:
“disturbed by a series of recent articles, written and published by you on (The Terrier), attacking our client’s reputation and character”.
Gulp.
Naturally, I felt slightly sick, but only slightly, because in 30 years’ of working as a journalist in search of the ever-elusive truth, I have received one or two of these letters before. The scary bit was that I now work alone.
The letter then set out the CEO’s particular grievances – or imputations.
That in carrying out her functions as CEO of Lyndoch, our client bullies and intimidates staff and other third parties;
That in carrying out her functions as CEO of Lyndoch, our client manipulates staff by psychological means into doubting their own sanity;
That in carrying out her functions as CEO of Lyndoch, our client unfairly favours some people over others;
That in carrying out her functions as CEO of Lyndoch, our client has caused a detrimental impact on the care of Lyndoch’s residents;
That in carrying out her functions as CEO of Lyndoch, our client lacks transparency and endorses secrecy;
That in carrying out leadership roles as CEO of Seymour and Plenty Valley Community Health, our client destroyed the culture and workplace environment of those places, and caused irreparable physical and/or psychological harm to their staff;
That our client is a disinterested CEO who does not care about her staff or the residents of Lyndoch; and;
That our client is unfit to be the CEO of Lyndoch or of any other organisation.
Defamation law is an important law and one that I take extremely seriously.
It is there to protect all of us from malicious untruths, but it can also be used by powerful people to “chill” journalists from investigating or writing about issues of public interest.
Back in the days when journalists worked in robust newsrooms with bottomless budgets, such legal battles could be fought with vigour.
Those days are almost gone.
The unofficial legal team for The Terrier: Bon the Beagle, George the German Shepherd and Cindy the Crazy Kelpie.
Now, like many journos out on their own, I have no newsroom and no budget for legal battles, and I rely entirely on insurance via my union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
Like all journos, I also rely on thorough research and credible sources to get things right in the first place, but it is one thing to argue a fact like, “you have no money” compared to “why do you have no money?”
WHY is the very guts of investigative journalism, but it is time-consuming, expensive, and it attracts law suits. Many newsrooms have given up on it, but it is what I do.
So I got my legal letter, paid for by Lyndoch, which confirmed that the aged care home which once looked after my own Mum was now threatening to sue me.
This was serious and it’s precisely why I waited until my Mum passed away last April before I started to write this current series of stories: as feisty as Mum was, she would have been worried sick.
Over the holiday period K&L Gates talked to my lawyers and vice versa. Letters were exchanged.
And in the end, my insurers decided not to fight the imputations, because who knows if I would win or lose in trying to prove the “why?”
I agreed to pull the stories from the website and remove them from Facebook and I cannot publish them again. I also agreed to pay costs.
All of this cost me $2000 in an insurance excess, but, because of you wonderful beings, it actually cost me $200, because Foxy the Fighting Fund kicked in and helped me to cover that excess.
Did it go to court? No.
Did The Terrier win or lose? I will leave that up to you to decide.
Is it important that we keep going? More than ever.
Defamation can be designed to “chill”, and frighten journalists into tightening their buttocks, but you know what? I am being cautious, but also reaching for an extra coat.
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Carol Altmann – The Terrier
