Ex Lyndoch director, now aged care expert, on rejection list

Janet Dunn has decades of experience in aged care, including at Lyndoch Living where she was among those recently denied membership.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

This is Janet Dunn.

Janet is among the 115 people on the roll call of the rejected – those who have been denied membership to Lyndoch Living aged care.

If ever there was a case study of the absurdity of how the current Lyndoch board decides who becomes a member, it’s Janet, because Janet used to be a member.

In fact Janet worked at Lyndoch for 10 years as the Director of Community Services (1992-2001), during which time she developed and managed nine community programs from five offices across southwest Victoria.

Janet was also in charge of coordinating the initial accreditations for both the Lyndoch Nursing Home and Community Services, before her career took her to Melbourne.

Since leaving Lyndoch, Janet has managed several nursing homes – both private and not-for-profit – and, unlike Lyndoch in recent months, has never failed any standards.

A quick look at Janet’s Linkedin profile reveals she has managed up to 300 staff, has in-depth knowledge of the aged care accreditation and funding systems, has worked on several state committees, including Ministerial Advisory Committees, and holds several post grad qualifications, including an MBA.

Oh my goodness.

Not only should Janet be a member of Lyndoch, she should be urged to nominate for the Lyndoch board at the AGM on 26 October.

The board, which has two vacancies and only one person with any nursing or aged care experience, needs people like Janet.

But while Janet has 30 years experience in aged care management, she is not able to become even a member of Lyndoch.

Why?

What is the criteria?

Did chair Sue Cassidy (Unisexcuts) and members Andrew Paton (WCC director), Kerry Nelson (former MPower CEO), Ron Page (dairy industry), Lorraine Milenik, Prof Rob Wallis and treasurer Kane Grant (Sinclair & Wilson), decide that because The Terrier was urging people to apply, that anyone who did apply was immediately ruled out?

Was that the criteria?

If so, what a wasted opportunity for Lyndoch to re-open its doors to the community, including to some extraordinary talent, like Janet, Marie Bird and Kate Sloan.

I have never met Janet and I only discovered her background after she commented on The Terrier Facebook page, but like the other 114 people, Janet’s application was dismissed without comment.

The board can do this under the Lyndoch Constitution and there is nothing, it seems, us mere mortals can do about it.

But surely it is wrong, so wrong, that a community owned asset can be controlled by a board that has no obligation, or desire, to explain itself.

Given this, I would like to see the whole board put up for re-election on 26 October.

Imagine that: a fresh start.

Lyndoch could then open up itself up to nominations from existing board members AND the general public, just like the “good old days” of three years ago.

It won’t happen, of course.

Why?

Because Lyndoch has shown it’s now fearful of any involvement or examination by the very community it was set up to serve.

How did it come to this?

Lyndoch rejects claim visiting workers were from Melbourne

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Lyndoch Living has rejected claims that it permitted two, non-essential workers from Melbourne into its premises late last month.

Upper House South-West MP Bev McArthur questioned Lyndoch about concerns raised in late July that the two workers from Melbourne were allowed into the residential area of Swinton Wing, despite Melbourne being in lockdown.

In reply to Ms McArthur, Lyndoch Living CEO Doreen Power said that the two people were contractors and were not from Melbourne, or the other lockdown hotspot of Mitchell Shire.

Ms Power did not reveal the purpose of their visit, Ms McArthur said.

I stand by my original story that the two people involved were non-essential workers and that they had both travelled from Melbourne.

The definition of a non-essential worker for aged care at this time has been set by the state Dept of Health and Human Services*.

Upper House MP for South West Victoria Bev McArthur has questioned Lyndoch Living about workers visiting the site. Image: Australian Liberal Party.

Ms McArthur said the community’s extra concern around aged care facilities was understandable.

“The community’s heightened concern about care standards at this time is entirely appropriate, and I was happy to raise the matter with the Lyndoch Living CEO and with the organisation’s board members,” she said.

“In my view it is inconceivable that anything but the most essential visits could be permitted at this time.”

Lyndoch Living, like other aged care homes in south-west Victoria, has had a screening process in place for all visitors and workers, including a temperature check, evidence of a flu shot, and no sign of flu-like symptoms.

Anybody who had been in Melbourne in the 14 days prior to their visit was not allowed entry.

Lyndoch Living has since moved to full lockdown as of last Monday, due to the number of Covid-19 cases in the Warrnambool community.

Readers of The Terrier have been in contact again, however, to express concern at painters being permitted into the complex to put the final touches on the $11 million Swinton Wing extension.

Ms Power last week gave an interview to Denis Napthine on 3YB, during which she said the extension was due to have residents moving in by today (August 20).

I don’t know if that deadline has since changed.

A portion of the new rooftop garden at Lyndoch Living which is surrounded by frosted glass.

In the same interview, Ms Power said the new Swinton Wing was part of a plan to give every Lyndoch resident a view of the Hopkins River.

The top level of the extension, however, has a frosted glass balcony, which has again prompted comments and questions to this site from readers.

“I always say to people, ‘you know, I think I have got the best real estate in Warrnambool,'” Ms Power said during her 3YB interview.

I would have to dispute that.

Lyndoch Living, owned by the community, has “the best real estate in Warrnambool”, and we hope it is never for sale.

* Subject to some important conditions, staff can enter the facility only if they are:

an employee or contractor at that facility
providing goods or services to the facility that are necessary for its effective operation (either as a paid worker or volunteer)
providing health care, medical or pharmaceutical goods or services, behavioural support services or other support services to a resident (either as a paid worker or a volunteer)
providing treatment under a treatment plan to a resident of a disability residential service (either as a paid worker or volunteer) providing education services to the resident of a secure welfare service (either as a paid worker or volunteer).

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.

(https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/visiting-care-facilities-covid-…)

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?

(https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/two-million-more-face-masks-for-victorian-aged-care-and-disability-workers)

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.

The last Covid-19 update on the Lyndoch Living website was that same date, 17 July: 11 days ago.

As I said above, I will let you know if I get a response.