ABC Radio has joined the ABC’s Four Corners and 7.30 Report in delivering long investigative segments.
In each case balancing information was not adequately provided by the journalists.
Last week they ran a Lendlease Retirement story of 1,300 words titled “One of Australia’s largest property developers has been accused of raising fees and downgrading services at its retirement villages”.
They drew in Federal Liberal MP Tim Wilson, another Victorian commentator, who said there was a case for the ACCC to review retirement village contracts.
“Looking at what best practice should be, to ensure that there are proper protections in place for people who may experience problems as a consequence of going into retirement villages, and making sure people are protected at a vulnerable stage of their life,” he said.
In this story one resident expressed concern that she would have to pay an exit fee of $85,000. She joined a village in 2003, meaning her exit fee mounted to $6,070 per year or $117 per week. Not a bad rent one would think. She was quoted as saying “I would lose about $100,000 if I left the village”.
Another couple “managed to leave” a QLD Lendlease village because the village rules were too intrusive and they said fees had increased from $300 a month to $500 a month. They moved to another village – in South Australia – about five years ago. How the ABC found them is not reported.
A further ABC Radio report, of 530 words, is titled “Aveo resident diagnosed with scabies claims company covered up skin condition outbreak”.
It reports “at least 20 people in unassisted residential living” have been treated for scabies”. They acknowledge that Aveo could only identify one person and that “the village is an independent living community where residents are not under (Aveo’s) care”. And left the story hanging.
Also last week ABC Radio ran a piece of 490 words titled “Call for tougher aged-care standards, amid claims of nursing home neglect”, at a NSW North Coast care facility.
The story told of the daughter of a resident who was alarmed at the treatment of a mother. The ABC acknowledged that the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner conducted a review of the situation and reported that the wound care was “appropriate”.
However the radio report ended with the government conducting another independent review.
The net outcome for ABC Radio listeners is likely that both the retirement village and aged care sectors are deeply troubled. And this is troubling for the sector.
