An aged care facility has been ordered to apologise after a nurse was found to have abandoned an elderly man who had fallen on his head as he waited for an ambulance.
The man, who was living independently in a cottage at the retirement village, fell during a walk and hit the back of his head. Following the fall he sought assistance from the facility's nurses.
However there was a delay in escalating the man's care, a report by the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) explains, in part because staff were "unclear of their responsibilities to village residents living independently".
"While the man did not have an agreement with the facility for care services, his agreement included that a medical practitioner would be available on call at all times for emergencies," the HDC report reads.
Two nurses were found to have failed to completely document their assessment of the man, and a third was found to have both failed to assess him and left him alone while he waited for the ambulance to arrive.
Deputy Commissioner Rose Wall was critical of the facility's shortcomings, saying staff "missed opportunities to fully inform the man's family, accurately record the man's assessment, and offer extended monitoring" after the injury.
"Operators of retirement villages with onsite rest homes and hospitals should recognise the professional responsibilities of their nurses to respond appropriately in such circumstances," Deputy Commissioner Wall said.
"I recommend that the facility consider improving the information that they provide to village residents about emergencies, medical incidents and requests for assistance."
Deputy Commissioner Wall also recommended the facility review its policies and procedures, implement a training programme on falls, assessment and monitoring and provide an apology to the man's family.
