Rest home put residents at risk, audit finds

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Rose A Lea Rest Home audit report

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A damning report into Rose A Lea Rest Home has uncovered evidence of a serious sexual assault, inappropriate restraint, pervasive filth and physical and verbal abuse among staff and residents.

The audit, made public by MidCentral District Health Board last night, showed residents of the 25-bed facility in Palmerston North were at risk of harm because of a litany of non-compliance. The rest home is closed until further notice, due to findings which included:

A serious sexual assault on a male resident by another resident.

Evidence of a physical altercation between the owners and a resident.

At least three residents inappropriately restrained.

Bathrooms contained floor mats with mould and unidentifiable stains, beds had an odour of urine.

Evidence of rodent infestation.

Rotting food in fridges.

Potential contamination of food with medications, or unrestricted access to medicine leading to illness.

Rose A Lea passed an audit for the Health Ministry in March. Auditors were called in in November after a complaint over the restraint used on 103-year-old Myra Letts. Her leg was bound and tied to the bed by linen.

Despite evidence in the 92-page report, Bev Stone, Mrs Letts' daughter, told The Dominion Post last night that the audit was inaccurate. "It's not true, 95 per cent of it."

Rose A Lea was "wonderful" to her mother. "We've been in and out of the place for 10 years and I'm sure we would have noticed if something was amiss."

The audit uncovered dozens of undocumented incidents.

In one, a staff member saw a male resident with a history of inappropriate behaviour attacking another male resident, leaving him "very sore, shocked, shaking ...".

The alleged victim's family were not notified. The audit team heavily criticised Rose A Lea owners Bryan and Joyce Wenmoth, saying they were unco-operative.

MidCentral DHB spokesman Mike Grant said in most sections, particularly clinical care, a high-risk rating was given to key findings – "including 20 breaches of industry-accepted good practice, 12 instances of legislation breaches and over 30 instances of breach of agreement".

The Health Ministry is investigating how the March audit failed to uncover any serious problems at the rest home. Those findings are due in February.

- © Fairfax NZ News