Daughter of Newmarch House praises Anglicare and staff on 7.30 Report

Host Leigh Sales was clearly looking for more criticism of the operator, but Louise Payne – whose 89-year-old mother Yvonne is a resident of the home and has tested positive for COVID-19 – defended the staff and operator during an appearance on the ABC show on Thursday night. Ms Payne said while the aged care home had struggled at the beginning of the outbreak, Anglicare has made “major gains”, particularly once the Federal Government provided the resources and staff that the home needed.

“We’re getting terrific information now,” she said. “We’re getting two calls a day if your resident is COVID positive from the RNs. We’ve had webinars with the doctors answering all our questions, we get daily updates, we’ve been offered counselling and pastoral care should we need it.”

Ms Payne also viewed the news that an independent aged care adviser – Catholic Healthcare’s Andrew Kinkade – had been appointed to oversee the home for the next three months as a positive.

“I’m not really sure how that’s come about but it’s always good to have another set of eyes and hopefully they’ll come in and see all the good things that have happened and that will be good for Anglicare.”

Ms Payne also praised the staff, who she says are working “tirelessly hard”.

“They’re really risking their lives every time they go there and they just keep turning up and the care that they show our loved ones is just beautiful.”