Three Bendigo aged care homes allocated two out of five stars in new ratings system

When the ratings system was launched on the myagedcare.gov.au website in mid-December, 90 per cent of facilities around the country were rated three stars or above, with only 8 per cent scoring two stars and 1 per cent each in the one- and five-star categories.

The local two-star-rated homes - Bupa Bendigo and the Royal Freemasons Flora Hill and Bendigo facilities - have received the poor ratings due to compliance failures, having received notices from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission over their failure to meet federal Aged Care Quality Standards.

These can range from failures in the provision of personal and clinical care to failures in staffing and organisational governance.

All three facilities have received two or more non-compliance notices since 2019.

All three say they have now resolved the issues in question.

Bupa Bendigo's most recent non-compliance notice was issued in September 2021.

"We've invested significantly in uplifting our quality measures and resident experience and believe we're well positioned to improve our ratings over coming months," a spokesperson for the company said.

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Both of the Royal Freemasons facilities received their most recent notices in November 2022.

Royal Freemasons CEO John Fogarty said in response to compliance notices issued in November 2022 at the organisation's Kangaroo Flat and Flora Hill facilities it had appointed a nurse advisor, allocated a support team to work with residents and staff on care plans and adopted a targeted education plan for all staff.

"The process of sustaining and embedding change at any home takes time and we remain committed to working with staff on ensuring this happens and results in positive outcomes for our residents," he said.

"The approach we are taking is one we have had much success with recently."

Seven more Bendigo aged care homes have received compliance notices in the past few years which have since been resolved.

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In addition to compliance issues, the ratings system assesses residents' experience, a series of "quality measures" and staffing levels.

Six local facilities which have an overall "acceptable" three-star rating are currently assigned only a one-star score in the sub-categories of either "quality measures" or staffing.

Bendigo Health-run facilities Carshalton House, Golden Oaks, Simpkin House and the Gibson St complex (Stella Anderson and Joan Pinder nursing homes) all received just one star for the "quality measures" category.

The quality measures star rating is calculated from information on five "crucial areas of care" - the percentage of residents who suffer from pressure sores; are subject to restraint (including "environmental restraints", such as locked doors, which restrict their ability to move around); experience unplanned weight loss; have falls; have falls which result in major injury; are prescribed nine or more medications; and are prescribed anti-psychotic medications without a diagnosis of psychosis.

However, the Department of Health confirmed the Bendigo Health facilities had received the one star score due to a failure to meet legislated requirements by reporting data on time.

On staffing, Carshalton House, Estia Health Victoria Heights, Royal Freemasons Bendigo, Mercy Health Bethlehem Home For The Aged and Benetas St Laurence Crt, Eaglehawk, currently have one-star ratings, which reflect their performance against targets for hours of personal and nursing care the average resident receives from a registered nurse and other carers.

According to Royal Freemason CEO Mr Fogarty, the low staffing ratings are representative of a widespread shortage of workers in the aged care and health industries.

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