Carol Altmann – The Terrier

For those who couldn’t make it to the Fight4Lyndoch rally last Sunday, here are links to speeches and statements from:

Federal MP for Wannon, Dan Tehan;

Member for Western Region of Victoria, Bev McArthur;

Membership applicant Dr Michael McCluskey;

Former Lyndoch Living nurse Sandy Hockley;

Community advocate Diane Riordon.

Member for South-West Victoria Roma Britnell also gave a terrific speech, but unfortunately a hard copy was only in dot point form, so I have not included it here.

[A video of my speech is available on The Terrier Facebook page.]

I also wish to repeat the simple statement of support offered to the rally by former Lyndoch CEO Rhys Boyle.

Rhys guided Lyndoch for 20 years until his retirement in 2014:

“I support a re-evaluation of the facts to ensure that meaningful and informed decisions are being made that secure the future of Lyndoch,” he wrote.

More than 350 people turned out for the rally on Scoborio Reserve last Sunday, to stand in support of residents, their families and staff, and to hear for themselves the concerns around Lyndoch Living.

Those concerns come down to three main issues:

1. Declining residential care standards, staff shortages and staff resignations;

2.  The financial viability of Lyndoch and, in particular, the sustainability of the $22 medical clinic;

3. The cutting out of the community from Lyndoch, including the end of community/general memberships.

While we await to hear whether the Aged Care and Safety Commission will re-accredit Lyndoch in August, the community fight continues.

For while the commission can act on the first point – residential care – it doesn’t deal with the other two points.

It’s up to us, as the community which owns Lyndoch, to make sure Lyndoch remains transparent and accountable to the community.

After the enormous response to the rally on Sunday, despite the freezing morning, our resolve has only strengthened.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Lyndoch Living has been in a mini lockdown to visitors for months – it still is – yet residents will this week be carted off to the Warrnambool May Races.

As we know, Lyndoch Living sponsors the main event, the Grand Annual Steeplechase, in what is one of the weirdest, inexplicable sponsorship deals between a not-for-profit, community owned, registered charity that services the aged…and a multi-million dollar gambling industry.

It’s almost as weird as Lyndoch being a major sponsor of the Hampden Football League alongside huge private, corporate entities like McDonald’s and Powercorp.

Anyone would think Lyndoch had money to burn, rather than running at a loss.

But I digress.

Yes, Lyndoch is off to the races, despite visitor restrictions at its homes which have been in place for months and which are still in place.

These restrictions prevent anyone from visiting a loved one (other than end of life care/compassionate care) except between the window of 10am and 2pm and only then by booking in advance.

Don’t turn up unannounced, even with your mask, vax certificate and RAT test – you will be turned away.

Children under 18 are still banned.

In fact until just before Anzac Day, 22 April, Lyndoch was only allowing two visitors, per resident per day, despite the State guidelines that have been in place since February allowing up to five.

The state guidelines don’t have time restrictions and they don’t ban children.

Lyndoch still does.

In fact Lyndoch is still urging visitors who can’t climb through their little 10am to 2pm time-slot to use social media, or a window visit, or an app, because heck, that is at least something, right?

You can’t hug your loved one or hold their soft, papery hand, but you can wave on Facetime: be grateful.

This leads us to a situation where kids and working people and busy people and people who forget or don’t know to book online are turned away from Lyndoch outside of visiting hours, yet Lyndoch is off to the races.

Why?

And how is it justified when such tight restrictions remain in place at Lyndoch itself and where staff shortages are still making basic care so difficult?

Of course there is the pleasure it will bring to those select residents who are fit enough to attend and who want to attend.

But in the absence of any explanation from Lyndoch (my emailed questions today went unanswered), I have a theory and it is this:

The corporate staff and any board members can’t possibly justify their attendance in the marquee to toast the Grand Annual on Thursday if at least some residents don’t get to sit in the same marquee for an hour or two on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I mean, how would it look?

As such, it’s absolutely predictable that we will see loads of photos on the Lyndoch Living Facebook page showing the delighted residents at the races – “free at last” – but will we see any snaps from inside the corporate tent on Thursday?

Hmmmm.

And will we see photos of the Lyndoch hierarchy presenting the sparkling winner’s trophy, sponsored on the back of staff shortages and cuts to the food budget?

I reckon the chances are 100/1.

Giddyup.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Update: Hello again and I have a bit of a Lyndoch Living update for you.

First, it’s slow going, but we are inching ever forward with our legal challenge against the Lyndoch board and its blanket rejection of people from becoming a member of Lyndoch.

The barrister we have hired for this challenge has been fully briefed by a local solicitor and now we wait to see if he thinks we have a case that can be taken to either the County or Supreme Court.

I am a Gemini, so patience is not a strength, but I am trying very hard to be patient while he decides whether the board has breached its responsibilities, both individually and collectively.

If he believes we have a case, then off we march toward court.

In the meantime, experienced care and nursing staff continue to leave Lyndoch and many are going to work for other aged care homes in and around Warrnambool.

They are not leaving the industry, they are leaving Lyndoch: what does that tell you?

Many of these staff don’t wish to leave Lyndoch and some are bereft at having to leave residents they have known for years, but they either feel they have no choice or have been given no choice. Again, what does that tell you?

Covid has had an impact on aged care everywhere, but it has nothing to do with this ongoing exodus at Lyndoch.

At the same time, I still receive, almost daily, distressing messages from family members of Lyndoch residents worried about their loved ones due to the staff shortages.

I have to be general here, not specific, as specific stories will identify those who are speaking up, so let me be general about these issues which range from basic care to simple comforts:

I am being told of residents not being showered as often as they should be, that incontinence pads aren’t being changed frequently enough, that the quality of the food has declined due to cost cutting, that residents can’t order an egg-on-toast for tea if it’s not on the menu, that meals from outside Lyndoch can no longer be brought in, that cooked breakfasts are down to once a month, that even two little dogs which used to come and visit residents to alleviate their loneliness are no longer allowed in.

Perhaps the little dogs have also been managed out.

Is it all true? I can only trust what these families tell me, as Lyndoch doesn’t ever respond to requests for comment, so I have given up trying. I trust the families.

Based on the past three years of pursuing this story, I don’t trust Lyndoch to tell the truth about what is going on inside.

Remember, Lyndoch last year failed to tell the public, or residents’ families, when it failed the national aged care standards. They found out from reading The Terrier.

As it happens, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission visited earlier this month for an unannounced, spot check on Lyndoch, which is currently ranked two out of four stars and in need of “significant improvements”. (Source: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider/aged-care-homes/1238016)

Would you believe it, this “surprise” spot check coincided with the very first edition of the new Lyndoch newspaper!

What a coincidence.

This pithy publication landed on every resident’s bedside table just a couple of days before the inspectors arrived in the Lyndoch foyer.

The paper was bursting with good news, including Lyndoch apparently hiring 116 (!) new staff, including 11 Registered Nurses and 11 enrolled nurses, from overseas, interstate and around the south-west.

116 new staff! Really? I received a message this past week that began with these words: “Things are dire here today….”

This message came from Lyndoch and I can be no more specific than that, because the witch hunt is on for anyone who dares to contact The Terrier.

The witch hunt is on and it’s relentless, but ultimately useless, because people won’t be gagged.

The residents’ families will keep talking and worried staff will keep talking, and as long as this page can keep ticking along, there is always a portal for the truth to come out.

Thanks, as always, for being a part of it.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

As promised, a quick update on the legal fight to bust down the walls around Lyndoch Living and allow the community to become members.

As we speak, a legal firm is now working on a brief for the barrister, which is the first step toward the barrister providing an opinion on how to proceed.

The barrister’s advice will consider the best way to frame a case against the Lyndoch board – both collectively and as individual board members – on whether they have failed in their duty to uphold the original spirit and purpose of Lyndoch.

As we know, the Lyndoch Living board last year rejected every single membership application from 115 lodged by people right across the local community.

Thanks to more than $12,000 raised via crowdfunding, we are now challenging that blanket rejection.

It is a slow and steady process, but the plan is to take Lyndoch Living to either the County or Supreme court.

I will be able to tell you more as the process unfolds.

You will also remember there is a second legal action underway: veterinarian Dr Michael McCluskey is challenging Lyndoch through VCAT, arguing the rejection of his membership application was discriminatory.

Dr McCluskey had his first mediation session via video link on 10 March and while the sessions are confidential, the mediation is continuing and Dr McCluskey is determined to press on.

“The mediation is still ongoing and if I am not happy with the outcome at the end of process, then I will be proceeding to a hearing at VCAT for them to decide on my claims,” he said.

In the meantime, Dr McCluskey has AGAIN applied to Lyndoch to become a member.

You got to hand it to Dr McCluskey; he stands by his belief that Lyndoch belongs to the community and is doing what he can to restore the community to its heart.

Lyndoch doesn’t seem to grasp the motivation behind this campaign.

The powers-that-be at Lyndoch angst over “the hidden agenda” and are fixated on trying to stop “The Terrier” from telling you what’s going on.

It won’t work.

Because this campaign is all about the residents and staff of Lyndoch: we will keep fighting for them, because Lyndoch was started 70 years ago, by the community, for the elderly and vulnerable people of Warrnambool.

They are no longer being cared for in the way they should be. I hear stories every day. You probably hear them too.

As it happens, Dr McCluskey’s elderly father receives some in-home services from Lyndoch Living as well as having a number of ex-Lyndoch staff who provide private carer services.

“I have found both the current and former staff to be lovely and very welcoming and friendly, which is in stark contrast to my experience with trying to become a member of Lyndoch Living,” he said.

Dr McCluskey said this only “further highlighted the importance of keeping Lyndoch Living membership open to the public so that the community can continue to play a vital role in the stewardship of the care of our aged and vulnerable citizens”.

As it sits, Lyndoch has no general members.

Hard to believe, but true.

But thanks to people like Dr McCluskey, Keep Lyndoch Living, the 115 people who applied for membership, all of those who threw $ in to the crowdfund, and the team now managing the legal challenge, the fight to keep Lyndoch a community asset rolls on.

Thanks for being a part of it.