Unsafe Conditions in Retirement Village

By Catherine Henry [1]

We acted for a client regarding the unsafe conditions and poor treatment she received as a resident in a retirement village.

Our client was unable to live peacefully in her unit at the retirement village due to noise emanating from various sources throughout and near to the unit. She was unable to sleep in her bedroom due to the disruptions and resorted to sleeping on the lounge of the living area.

Our client suffered from multiple sclerosis and severe arthritis in her neck, and her symptoms were exacerbated by her poor living conditions. She was also physically threatened on several occasions by other residents and was harassed by the staff of the facility. Despite our client’s repeated requests to be moved to another unit, she was refused without reason.

We were able to contact the retirement village and achieve a successful resolution for our client.

Retirement villages are required by law to provide safe premises for residents.

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Sources:

[1] Health & Aged Care Lawyer, Principal, Catherine Henry Lawyers Pty Limited, Sydney; ALARM Volunteer Consultant.

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this article are the views of the author. The contents of this article are for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal advice, are not intended to be a substitute for legal advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Legal advice should be sought prior to any action being taken in reliance on any of the information. If you are in need of legal advice and/or assistance about aged care matters, please seek legal advice directly or via ALARM’s GET HELP form on its website: www.agedcarejustice.org.au.