In a rare move, major Queensland provider Blue Care will appeal a decision by the Australian Government to impose sanctions on a facility in Mareeba, near Cairns.
The sanctions on Mareeba Garden Settlement were handed down because of alleged deficiencies with nutrition and weight management.
They followed an unannounced visit by assessors from the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.
But Blue Care’s director of residential services Richard Olley said he believed the sanction was unjustified.
“[It] puts an unnecessary distraction on care staff who do an excellent job of caring for residents,” Mr Olley said.
“Residents were provided nutritional supplements and were never at risk. The weight loss experienced is related to medical conditions that were being well managed,” he said.
Blue Care operates 96 residential aged care facilities and has never been sanctioned in its 55-year history.
“The wellbeing of our residents is paramount and we will take every action necessary to continue to support them and their families with the care and compassion on which our organisation has been built,” Mr Olley said.
“We are endeavouring to have more thorough documentation that we can provide auditors when they show up for unannounced visits, but I must reiterate that our care standards have not been compromised.”