A Melbourne-based executive has attended a meeting at the Perth aged care facility at the centre of physical abuse allegations just days after arriving in WA, where Victorian arrivals are required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Key points:
- Regis says the executive has complied with the G2G process
- The company says he was given an exemption with conditions
- WA Police will not comment on individual cases
Paul Cohen is one of two executive general managers of operations at Regis Aged Care, part of the ASX-listed Regis Healthcare Ltd which owns the Regis Nedlands facility, and has flown over to help manage an internal investigation.
The company has stood down many staff and boosted its senior workforce as it looks into allegations of:
- Rough handling of residents;
- Failing to support and promote the privacy, dignity and independence of residents; and
- Inappropriate communication between staff and residents.
The major crime squad, along with Perth detectives, is now running the criminal investigation — which was initially looking into five alleged incidents of physical abuse over three days last week — after two residents died.
Mr Cohen ran a meeting inside the facility in Perth’s wealthy western suburbs on Friday morning for residents and their families.
One woman who attended said Mr Cohen wore a mask.
Executive was granted exemption, Regis says
However, a Regis spokesman said Mr Cohen arrived this week after going through the G2G pass process to enter WA and was given an exemption with conditions, which he was complying with.
The woman said she was left disappointed by the meeting because the company “wasn’t upfront enough in the beginning”.
She wanted more information about what had been happening.
“He didn’t want to discuss anything because it’s under investigation,” she said.
“People wanted answers and just want to know that things will improve.”
The woman said many people were worried they were paying a lot of money and their relatives were not being cared for as well as they could be.
The Regis Nedlands website states it charges a $550,000 refundable deposit for a single room and up to $1.4 million for an apartment.
She hoped the allegations didn’t reflect badly on some of the “wonderful” staff who worked there.
“A lot of them are brilliant,” she said.
“Let’s face it, who wants to do some of the work that they do?”
Victoria classified as ‘low risk’
Victoria is considered low risk by WA, with anyone travelling from there required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival and have a COVID-19 test on day 11.
WA Police, which manages the G2G pass system, said it did not comment on individual cases.
Aged Care researcher and advocate Sarah Russell said it was appropriate for a senior executive to fly to Perth, given the seriousness of the allegations at the Nedlands facility.
However, she questioned why he was not required to self-quarantine.
Australian Government data shows that more than 680 aged-care residents have died from COVID-19, the majority of them from Victoria.
Two Regis facilities in Melbourne suffered coronavirus outbreaks, with Victorian Government statistics showing 86 cases at Regis Brighton Aged Care and five at its Fawkner aged care home.
There have been no cases of coronavirus at WA aged care facilities.