COVID 19 outbreaks in Australian nursing homes
There have been numerous Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases linked to aged care which has considerably impacted aged care homes. As at 23 August, there have been 313 confirmed deaths of residents from residential aged care services across Australia.
Unfortunately it has been difficult to determine which aged care homes have been affected and the number of COVID-19 cases due to the lack of accurate public information and government's reluctance to share this important data with the Australian public.
In the spirit of transparency and accountability, we have included a list relating to aged care homes. Please note this is a work in progress and whilst we endeavor to update this page regularly, cannot guarantee accuracy of the content.
Please help us to help the Australian community being informed by filling out the form at the end of the page with your suggestions, corrections, errors, or provide additional sources of confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases are derived from primary sources such as NSW Health, Victoria's DHHS, QLD Health, organisational media releases and - where there is a lack of transparency - from secondary sources such as news articles.
Data Source: We would like to rightly acknowledge and thank Dr MJ dela Rama for collecting COVID-19 data and composing the Google map tracking outbreaks since April 2020 this year. No reproduction without permission from Dr MJ dela Rama or Aged Care Crisis Inc.
Notes about the data: Type = Ownership type; PIB = Private Incorporated Body; CB = Community Based; REL = Religious; SGVT = State Government; CH = Charitable; Res. deaths = Total known resident deaths; Res. inf. = Total known resident infections; Staff inf. = Total known staff infections; OTH = Resident, staff, allied health staff or other infections where breakdown not specified. Ownership type information derived from Department of Health. The data is an aggregate of all known cases in 2020 as per Department of Health data.
| State | Residential Aged Care Facility | Approved Provider | Org type | Total cases | Res total | Res resolved | Staff total | Staff resolved | Res deaths* | Mortality Rates of infected residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Residential Aged Care Facility | Approved Provider | Org type | Total cases | Res total | Res resolved | Staff total | Staff resolved | Resident deaths* | Mortality Rates of infected residents |
| VIC | Arcare Burnside | Arcare Pty Ltd | PIB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Arcare Craigieburn | Arcare Pty Ltd | PIB | 81 | 37 | 22 | 44 | 44 | 15 | 41% |
| VIC | Arcare Maidstone | Arcare Pty Ltd | PIB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Arcare Sydenham | Arcare Pty Ltd | PIB | 46 | 22 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 6 | 27% |
| VIC | Assisi Aged Care | Assisi Centre Limited | REL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Aurrum Plenty | Aurrum Pty Limited | PIB | 83 | 47 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 13 | 28% |
| VIC | Aurrum Reservoir | Aurrum Pty Limited | PIB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Avonlea Grange Hostel | Allity Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Baptcare Brookview Community Westmeadows | Baptcare Ltd | REL | 20 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 10% |
| VIC | Baptcare Strathalan | Baptcare Ltd | REL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Baptcare The Orchards - Doncaster | Baptcare Ltd | REL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Baptcare Wyndham Lodge | Baptcare Ltd | REL | 232 | 101 | 68 | 131 | 128 | 30 | 30% |
| VIC | Benetas St Georges | Anglican Aged Care Services Group | REL | 69 | 32 | 20 | 37 | 37 | 12 | 38% |
| VIC | Bill Crawford Lodge | Ballarat Health Services | SGVT | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | BlueCross Autumdale | Blue Cross Community Care Services Group Pty Ltd | PIB | 54 | 24 | 11 | 30 | 30 | 13 | 54% |
| VIC | Bluecross Baradine | Blue Cross Community Care Services (Toorak) Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | BlueCross Chelsea Manor | Blue Cross Community Care Services Group Pty Ltd | PIB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | BlueCross Elly Kay | Blue Cross Community Care Services (Toorak) Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Bluecross Ivanhoe | Third Age Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Bluecross Riverlea | Blue Cross Community Care Services Group Pty Ltd | PIB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | BlueCross Ruckers Hill | Blue Cross Community Care Services (Toorak) Pty Ltd | PIB | 108 | 48 | 36 | 60 | 60 | 12 | 25% |
| VIC | Bluecross Silverwood | Third Age Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | BlueCross The Boulevard | Blue Cross Community Care Services (Toorak) Pty Ltd | PIB | 68 | 36 | 22 | 32 | 32 | 14 | 39% |
| VIC | BlueCross Westgarth | Blue Cross Community Care Services (Toorak) Pty Ltd | PIB | 32 | 14 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 6 | 43% |
| VIC | Boyne Russell Nursing Home | Melbourne Health | SGVT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Bupa Edithvale | Bupa Aged Care Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 79 | 44 | 26 | 35 | 34 | 17 | 39% |
| VIC | Bupa Greensborough | Bupa Aged Care Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Bupa Sunshine | Bupa Aged Care Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Bupa Templestowe | Bupa Aged Care Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 11 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 67% |
| VIC | Bupa Traralgon | Bupa Aged Care Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 19 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 29% |
| VIC | BUPA Woodend | Bupa Aged Care Australia Pty Ltd | PIB | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Campbell Place Aged Care Facility | Australian Unity Care Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Chomley House Hostel | Milford Hall Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Churches of Christ Care Arcadia Aged Care Service Essendon | Churches of Christ in Queensland | REL | 22 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 30% |
| VIC | Coppin Centre Melbourne | Royal Freemasons Ltd | REL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Corpus Christi Aged Care Residence - Villa Maria Catholic Homes | Villa Maria Catholic Homes Limited | CH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Craigcare Moonee Ponds | Glenn-Craig Villages Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Craigcare Pascoe Vale | Glenn-Craig Villages Pty Ltd | PIB | 107 | 53 | 42 | 54 | 54 | 11 | 21% |
| VIC | Cumberland Manor | Primary Caring Pty Ltd | PIB | 107 | 53 | 34 | 54 | 51 | 8 | 15% |
| NSW | Dorothy Henderson Lodge | BaptistCare NSW & ACT | REL | 22 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 35% |
| VIC | Doutta Galla Footscray 2. | Doutta Galla Aged Services Ltd | CH | 57 | 30 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 8 | 27% |
| VIC | Doutta Galla Lynch's Bridge | Doutta Galla Aged Services Ltd | CH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Doutta Galla Woornack | Doutta Galla Aged Services Ltd | CH | 42 | 20 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 40% |
| VIC | Doutta Galla Yarraville | Doutta Galla Aged Services Ltd | CH | 84 | 41 | 23 | 43 | 43 | 17 | 41% |
| VIC | Edenvale Manor Aged Care Facility | Llandysil Pty Ltd | PIB | 20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 29% |
| VIC | Embracia in Reservoir VIC | Embracia Victoria Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Embracia Moonee Valley | Embracia Victoria Pty Ltd | PIB | 56 | 26 | 14 | 30 | 27 | 8 | 31% |
| VIC | Emmavale Gardens - Menarock Life Lower Templestowe | Menarock Aged Care Services (Templestowe) Pty Ltd | PIB | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Epping Gardens | Heritage Care Pty Ltd | PIB | 190 | 103 | 63 | 87 | 87 | 38 | 37% |
| VIC | Essendon Aged Care - Menarock Life | Menarock Aged Care Services (Victoria) Pty Ltd | PIB | 47 | 20 | 2 | 27 | 26 | 7 | 35% |
| VIC | Estia Health Ardeer | Estia Investments Pty Ltd | PIB | 134 | 49 | 32 | 85 | 85 | 17 | 35% |
| VIC | Estia Health Glen Waverley | Estia Investments Pty Ltd | PIB | 7 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Estia Health Heidelberg West | Estia Investments Pty Ltd | PIB | 97 | 29 | 19 | 68 | 67 | 10 | 34% |
| VIC | Estia Health Keilor | Estia Investments Pty Ltd | PIB | 43 | 26 | 5 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 12% |
| VIC | Estia Health Keysborough | Estia Investments Pty Ltd | PIB | 21 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 38% |
| VIC | Estia Health South Morang | Estia Investments Pty Ltd | PIB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Estia Health Wattle Glen | Estia investments Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Florence Aged Care | Softwood Ridge Pty Ltd | PIB | 46 | 28 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 7 | 25% |
| VIC | Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans | Fronditha Care | CH | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 100% |
| VIC | Glendale Aged Care | Allity Pty Ltd | PIB | 91 | 45 | 28 | 46 | 46 | 16 | 36% |
| VIC | Glenlyn Aged Care Facility | Kincsem Pty Ltd | PIB | 63 | 40 | 36 | 23 | 23 | 4 | 10% |
| VIC | Grace of Mary Greek Cypriot Elderly Hostel | The Community of Cypriots of the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne Inc | CH | 55 | 22 | 11 | 33 | 33 | 11 | 50% |
| VIC | Grant Lodge Aged Care Facility | Djerriwarrh Health Services | SGVT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Hammond Care Caulfield Village Aged Care Facility | HammondCare | CH | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Holloway Aged Care Services | Keilor Hostel for the Aged Association Inc | CB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 100% |
| VIC | James Barker House | The Salvation Army (Victoria) Property Trust | REL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Japara Central Park | Japara Aged Care Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 40 | 18 | 15 | 22 | 22 | 3 | 17% |
| VIC | Japara Elanora | Japara Aged Care Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 62 | 31 | 20 | 31 | 31 | 11 | 35% |
| VIC | Japara Goonawarra | Japara Aged Care Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 102 | 53 | 33 | 49 | 48 | 20 | 38% |
| VIC | Japara Millward | Japara Aged Care Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 36 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 4 | 21% |
| VIC | Japara The Regent | Japara Aged Care Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 42 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 3 | 14% |
| VIC | Kalyna Care | Ukrainian Elderly People's Home | CB | 101 | 57 | 31 | 44 | 44 | 26 | 46% |
| VIC | Kirkbrae Presbytarian Homes | Presbyterian Church of Victoria Trusts Corporation | REL | 116 | 61 | 40 | 55 | 55 | 20 | 33% |
| VIC | Liscombe House | The Old Colonists' Association of Victoria | CH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Little Sisters of the Poor, Northcote | Little Sisters of the Poor Aged Care Ltd | REL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| VIC | Lynden Aged Care | Lynden Aged Care Association Inc | CB | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Maculata Place Shepparton Villages | Shepparton Retirement Villages Inc | CH | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Mecwacare John Atchison Centre | MECWA | CB | 83 | 44 | 26 | 39 | 39 | 18 | 41% |
| VIC | Melbourne Hebrew Memorial Nursing Home | Jewish Care (Victoria) Inc | REL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| TAS | Melaleuca Home for the Aged | Melaleuca Home for the Aged Inc | CB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| VIC | Menarock Life - Emmavale Gardens Templestowe | Menarock Aged Care Services (Victoria) Pty Ltd | PIB | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Menarock Life - Essendon | Menarock Aged Care Services (Victoria) Pty Ltd | PIB | 47 | 20 | 13 | 27 | 27 | 7 | 35% |
| VIC | Menarock Life - McGregor Gardens | Menarock Aged Care Services (Victoria) Pty Ltd | PIB | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Menarock Life - Rosehill | Menarock Aged Care Services (Victoria) Pty Ltd | PIB | 82 | 51 | 35 | 31 | 31 | 16 | 31% |
| VIC | Mercy Place Dandenong | Mercy Aged and Community Care Ltd | CH | 21 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 23% |
| VIC | Mercy Place Montrose | Mercy Aged and Community Care Ltd | CH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Mercy Place Parkville | Mercy Aged and Community Care Ltd | CH | 95 | 58 | 35 | 37 | 37 | 21 | 36% |
| VIC | Mercy Place Wyndham | Mercy Aged and Community Care Ltd | CH | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 50% |
| VIC | Montefiore Homes Community Residence - Jewish Care Hannah and Daryl Cohen Centre Windsor Aged Care Facility | Jewish Care (Victoria) Inc | REL | 67 | 33 | 31 | 34 | 33 | 2 | 6% |
| NSW | Newmarch House Aged Care Facility | Anglican Community Services | REL | 71 | 37 | 17 | 34 | 34 | 19 | 51% |
| NSW | Opal Aged Care, Bankstown | DPG Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| VIC | Opal Hobsons Bay Altona North | DPG Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 37 | 22 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 32% |
| VIC | Opal South Valley | Domain Aged Care (Victoria) Pty Ltd | PIB | 57 | 32 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 8 | 25% |
| VIC | Outlook Gardens Aged Care | Association for Christian Senior Citizens Homes Inc | REL | 99 | 41 | 28 | 58 | 58 | 13 | 32% |
| VIC | P.S. Hobson Nursing Home | Ballarat Health Services | SGVT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Point Cook Manor Aged Care | Homestyle Point Cook Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Princeton View | Allity Pty Ltd | PIB | 70 | 27 | 18 | 43 | 43 | 9 | 33% |
| VIC | Rathdowne Place Aged Care, Carlton | Australian Unity Care Services Pty Ltd | PIB | 9 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Regis Brighton | Regis Aged Care Pty Ltd | PIB | 67 | 25 | 14 | 42 | 42 | 11 | 44% |
| VIC | Regis Cranbourne | Regis Aged Care Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Regis Fawkner | Regis Aged Care Pty Ltd | PIB | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| VIC | Regis Macleod | Regis Aged Care Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Riddell Gardens, Sunbury | Allity Pty Ltd | PIB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 100% |
| VIC | Royal Freemasons - Bacchus Marsh | Royal Freemasons Ltd | CH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Royal Freemasons - Gregory Lodge | Royal Freemasons Ltd | CH | 66 | 39 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 15 | 38% |
| VIC | Royal Freemasons - Monash Gardens | Royal Freemasons Ltd | CH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Sheridan Aged Care (Kyabram District Health Service) | Kyabram and District Health Services | SGVT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | St Basil's Home for the Aged in Victoria | St Basil's Homes for the Aged in Victoria | REL | 189 | 94 | 50 | 95 | 95 | 44 | 47% |
| VIC | St Vincent Care Services Eltham | St Vincent's Care Services Ltd. | REL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| NSW | Storm Village | Anglican Care | CH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Sutton Park Assisted Aged Care | McKenzie Aged Care Group Pty Ltd | PIB | 77 | 46 | 38 | 31 | 31 | 7 | 15% |
| VIC | Talbot Place | Ballarat Health Services | SGVT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Twin Parks Aged Care - Reservoir | Coburg Aged Care Pty Ltd | PIB | 125 | 79 | 57 | 46 | 46 | 22 | 28% |
| VIC | Uniting Agewell Box Hill | The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Victoria) | REL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Uniting AgeWell Kingsville | The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Victoria) | REL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Villa Maria - Berwick | Villa Maria Catholic Homes Limited | CH | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Ville Maria - Corpus Christie | Villa Maria Catholic Homes Limited | CH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| VIC | Villa Maria - St Bernadette's | Villa Maria Catholic Homes Limited | CH | 17 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 75% |
| VIC | Village Glen Aged Care Residences - Mornington | Ti Tree Operations Pty Ltd | PIB | 39 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 5 | 24% |
| VIC | Westernport Nursing Home | Kooweerup Regional Health Service | SGVT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
Classification type/source: 2018-19 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act; *One 77 VIC bed service not listed classified as Religious/Charitable
Fact check: Impact of ownership
When interviewed by Patricia Karvelas on ABC Afternoon Briefing, incredibly Ageing Minister Richard Colbeck was quick to defend the private sector, despite for example, as at 21 August, nearly 60% of known outbreaks of COVID-19 across Australia are classified as 'Private Incorporated Body' (for-profit) owned homes.
Baldwin et al studied the incidence of sanctions in Australia between 1999 and 2012 and published his results in 2014. He found that the risk of for-profit owned facilities being sanctioned was more than twice as great as that of nonprofit owned facilities. They challenged government policy in their several articles.
These figures confirm his findings and show that in spite of the additional competitive pressures on nonprofits since 2014 in the introduction of market based reforms, for-profits are still sanctioned more than twice as often. This study confirmed a similar finding by Ellis and Howe in 2010.
This confirmed a small study we did in 2008 and the 1999 to 2012 study of sanctions by Baldwin. Both are in keeping with the findings of the 1993 study by Braithwaite and international studies since 1994.
Impact of ownership: When we examined the incidence of failure to meet all standards and sanctions separately in the inner and outer regional groups of aged care homes, we found that in both the inner and the outer groups, the for-profit owned facilities performed between one third to three times worse than nonprofits and government facilities.
The big differences in the type of ownership between inner and outer facilities masked the extent of the difference between ownership types. This is what both Baldwin and Professor Ibrahim are saying. Had the regulator analysed their figures properly by considering this variable in 2015, they would have detected this. They would have been able to confirm Baldwin's findings instead of challenging them.
As Baldwin indicated, this sort of analysis is vitally important for making policy. It is doubly so when it shows that the policy is flawed and produces worse outcomes.
Why does ownership type and location matter?
There are far fewer for-profit providers operating in 'remote' locations with the non-profit sector operating in outer regional and remote locations. When we and others have compared incidence of failures (non compliances, sanctions, etc), we removed these from our studies so that we can compare like with like. Remote locations for example, are harder to staff or attract staff.
When we restricted our analysis to the cities and inner regions so levelling the field, we found that the difference in the performance of the different not-for-profit groups disappeared. The private-for-profit aged-care homes had twice the number of homes failing more often.
As Professor Ibrahim highlighted when interviewed regarding COVID-19 in nursing homes, he said:
"... A lot of the public homes are in regional areas where the private providers will not go, and the public (homes) also tend to look after the more complex residents, particularly those that are bariatric or got significant brain injuries, and so that the public sector tends to get the much more complex.
The differences that we know are, there are differences in staffing levels and ratios and staff skill sets, we know there are differences in location ---
A lot of the building stock in the public sector is older, so i would have expected more transmission there because they're more likely to have shared rooms and shared bathrooms, whereas the privates tend to have far more single rooms and ensuites, and so in a sense, it doesn't make sense, looking at just the structure, why those outbreaks would be greater in private. It makes sense when you look at the staffing and the staffing qualification ... "
Source: ABC Mornings with Virginia Trioli, Professor Joseph Ibrahim, 29 July 2020