news
that is navigable by the average client is
basically absurd.”
Flicker was asked what he would include
if he could have a wish list of reforms that
the royal commission could propose.
Navigators for the My Aged Care system
was one wish. Another was Aboriginal
owned and operated aged care facilities.
“My last wish is supporting the traditional
roles of the elders, which is part of the
Uluru Statement.”
PERTH: JAPARA CEO UNDER
THE SPOTLIGHT
One hundred assaults over four-and-
a-half years is not evidence of systemic
issues among staff, according to Mark
Sudholz, chief executive of aged care
provider Japara.
Sudholz appeared uncomfortable at
the recent Perth hearing, and by the end
of his testimony he was visibly upset. He
was taken to task regarding the incidents
reported the previous day concerning the
assault of Noleen Hausler’s father Clarence
at a Japara facility in 2015.
He and the senior counsel assisting the
commission, Peter Rozen, went back and
forth over Japara’s definition of ‘rough
handling’. They also couldn’t agree on a
definition of the word ‘vexatious’, which
Sudholz used to describe Hausler.
In an email to his board, Sudholz wrote:
“Hi all, you will be pleased to hear that we
have achieved 100 per cent occupancy at
Mitcham ACF for the first time ever despite
the ongoing complaints and vexatious
approach by Noleen Hausler and her
activist group.”
Sudholz was also asked about
another email in which he seemed to
imply that Hausler’s complaints were
financially motivated.
“This has been about financial gain
to her, and the action she has taken
is for the purpose of putting us under
pressure and forcing a settlement, which
we will not do,” the email to a senior
employee said.
Most surprisingly were his statements
regarding the prevalence of assault across
Japara’s 49 facilities.
Rozen quizzed Sudholz over the 298
allegations of assault and the process of
investigation used by Japara.
Sudholz replied that they were “alleged”
assaults and that the number of actual
assaults was much less.
“The number at the moment that I
understand is under 100. And under that
basis, it isn’t 298 assaults that Japara has
had over four-and-a-half years. It is a figure
much less than that,” he said.
As his testimony ended, he was at pains
to apologise to Hausler and teared up as
he did so.
Numamurdirdi described to the
commission the spiritual hurt she endures
being away from her homeland, magnified
as she is the eldest in her family.
“My heart is crying, yes. My heart is
crying because I far away from my family.
DARWIN: ‘MY HEART IS CRYING’
Because if I pass away here, I’ve got my
The royal commission hearing in Darwin
spirit, my culture, my ceremony way
looked at aspects of care in residential,
back home at home and my family, they
home and flexible aged care, as well as
don’t want that way, because we’ve got
the issues faced by those living in rural and
everything there in the home,” she said.
remote communities.
“I’m the eldest out of my family and
Day one opened with testimony from
that’s my motherland, Numbulwar.”
Dr Meredith Hansen-Knarhoi, a GP who
She misses the freedom of her home,
visits the Terrace Gardens aged care
and of things like going to the beach in her
facility in Darwin, and her patient Mildred
wheelchair.
Numamurdirdi, an elder and traditional
“We don’t have aged care closer … in our
owner from Numbulwar.
community. I’m asking to build aged care in
Hansen-Knarhoi met
our community … please,” she said.
Numamurdirdi in 2018
Kim McRae, team manager
when she was moved
at Ngaanyatjarra
from Numbulwar,
Pitjantjatjara
about 800km from
Yankunytjatjara
Darwin, after a stint
(NPY) Women’s
in hospital due to
Council (Aboriginal
They drive me, put me
pneumonia.
Corporation),
on the ambulance ...
Hansen-
tries to facilitate
Knarhoi told the
Indigenous clients’
and I didn’t know this
commission that
wishes to remain on
place, and I was crying
Numamurdirdi
country.
for four weeks.
has been unable
“We do a lot of
to return to her
advocacy for people
community and that
around their desire
the nearest aged care
to continue living on
facility is a five to six-
country,” she said. “At times,
hour drive away. This has left
that puts us a little bit at odds with
Numamurdirdi isolated from family, friends
other service providers who may feel it
and, importantly, her culture.
would be more appropriate for someone
Numbulwar has a small population of
to live in town and get additional supports,”
about 750, but this can swell up to 1500
she told the commission.
depending on community events, funerals
McRae suggested more needs to be done
or football matches.
to help people return to country for cultural
“They drive me, put me on the
events (if a move to city care is needed)
ambulance, and they drive me, and I didn’t
through better funding, and this will result in
know this place, and I was crying for four
better health outcomes for the patient.
weeks … sad for my family,” Numamurdirdi
“I think return to country is really critical
said via pre-recorded video testimony.
to people’s emotional and social wellbeing.
Terrace Gardens is too far for her
“The difficulty is the threshold around
daughter and grandsons to visit, with
where someone’s care needs have
dangerous dirt roads and “lots of accident
increased and yet they’re still saying they
along the road”.
want to continue to live on country. There’s
She talked of her life before she
a tipping point, I guess, where perhaps the
moved to Darwin when her “family never
medical service is starting to be concerned
missed me”. They used to surround
about that person.”
her, sit with her, talk and laugh with
McRae often helps residents visit home
her. Her family would eat damper and
when she has reason to drive “out bush”,
whatever they had hunted, “sharing,
be it a festival or outreach program, but it is
family sharing”.
not always possible.
“They love me so much and I love
“Actually finding specific funding for
them so much, my children and my
that to occur is getting harder and harder,”
grandkids,” she said.
McRae said. ■
“
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