Unfortunately what others have reported is correct. Regional and State Management have allowed a high staff turnover. Unfortunately this home now is a sad place to be. Concerns of extra services, care and families goes no where. The staff culture is terrible, and management is inexperienced and money hungry, all the good senior home management staff have gone, no explanation at all, and we were not able to say goodbye. It’s very sad to see this home not care anymore.

My first impression of this facility was nothing short of impressive. It is, after all, relatively new and therefore modern. The inside looks the same - big, spacious, well appointed. We were advised to look past those things and look at the personal side of things - the professionalism of staff, the interaction of staff with residents, the care we could see being provided. Initially we, my sister and I, were very impressed with what we saw - and it is likely many other families would agree with us as there are many residents. As time went on and Mum settled into her new residence it became apparent that all was not as good and glamorous as we were to initially led to believe. My sister is able to visit Mum daily. Her daily visits enabled her to see the shortcomings of this facility. It soon became apparent also, that she was not the only one who was disgruntled by the services provided or lack of services. Most residents pay for extra services - $41.75 per day - and this is just one part of a major issue with this facility. When we initially chose this place we were given a vague list of what 'extras' meant - it soon became obvious that they were definitely not being provided. Without going into major detail here - the residents paying this extra money were basically receiving the same care and experiences as those residents not paying the extra services fee - and even the basic care was lacking. The administration staff has changed numerous times in the past year or so and people have been brought in from their head office in Sydney to try and sort out the issues - however as advocates for our loved ones - we have been given a lot of lip service and, although there has been some effort to rectify some of the situations, it has not been particularly successful or ongoing. My sister has had numerous meetings - face to face, phone calls and video calls - to try and rectify these issues but none of these resulted in positive progress in resolving anything. We, and other advocates of residents, have made complaints to the Aged Care Commission and their investigation is ongoing. This facility is one of many in the Opal group of aged care facilities. It is definitely business first and care a seemingly lowly second. The carers provide quite good care however I believe they are overworked and underpaid and there is often a language barrier between the elderly residents and carers - the ratio between carers and residents is definitely not enough. When Mum moved into this facility we were asked what her needs were. Many of those have not been fulfilled and my sister has constantly had to engage with staff regarding those issues. Overall, they do not provide the level of care anyone should expect in such a facility. They seem to forget who their clients are - suggesting recently that they are listening what residents want and that it is unfortunate if families do not agree...many residents are suffering from dementia and others - simply because of their age and because they are of the generation they are - need family members to advocate for them in all areas of their lives there. They advertise and offer more than they provide. You will notice that they offer to meet with those who have concerns...and they do, but nothing changes. They wanted my sister to have a weekly meeting so she could tell them what they needed to fix!! Very, very disappointed with this facility.

As others have pointed out, the extra services at Carine Parkside are not as advertised. For instance, we were given a glossy brochure showing lovely patisseries as part of the package yet what's offered does not come close. Numerous complaints have been made over many months and nothing has really changed. Suggestions have been made yet they are rarely acted upon. The issue seems to be with the Head Office over east that have to be consulated before any decisionis made. For instance the DVD became unserviceable this week, why are they still using this technology in this day & age? Also the food is has been terrible recently with ice cream and jellied fruit part of the menu. This is being addressed with a new chef but we've been down this route before. Complaints have been made to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission by several relatives. You will notice the reply to Maureen Johnson's review by the manager. No ownership of the issues and it reads like an advertisement. This is the problem the relatives are facing.

Beautiful building but don’t be fooled. This place is all about profit and the commodification of our elderly. Floor staff are lovely, just not enough of them. Extra services contracted, promised and paid for ( extra $42 per day ) very rarely delivered , if at all. Certainly not consistently. Constantly had to remind Management they were not providing what was contracted. No ownership , apology, refund or correction of this. Even after been taken to National Level. Everything from quality of food, number of meal choices, quality of beverages, Lifestyle Activities were not as contracted. Dad told me the lifestyle activities were demeaning . Lots of bingo and word quizzes , craft . Very little for men . The men’s Club that was advertised was often just watching an episode of a TV show. Focus on cheap activities. My dad in here 18 months and we had 4 managers, 3 head chefs.very high turnover of staff and this hugely affects quality of care and quality of delivery of paid product. Do not buy extra services package. ( not optional)

My Mum has been in this facility for18 months. Never an easy decision and for the first few months all was good - well so we thought! This facility offers ES (Extra services) at an added extra cost of $47 per day. The deal was supposedly the ES residents were to get better quality food drinks and activities to enjoy. It also include things like a Foxtel package outings organised at residents expense , movie club and a dedicated cinema room on each level. These theatres do not exist there are some very nice lounges at the end of every corridor but far from a cinema room! Movies are still watched from DVD in the training room - on less than comfy chairs. I have had multiple meetings over many things and have not seen improvement as yet. Communication is terrible between residents and families and within the organisation. We have had 3 GM within 18 months and at least 3 changes of chef. Often the menu does not totally match what is served. Very disappointed that these aged people are paying this kind of money for services which are well below the standard one would expect or not at all. Ask lots of questions before you make a decision about your chosen facility and make sure what you’re promised is actually what you’re going to get. Very disappointed

Beautiful building but don’t be fooled. This place is all about profit. Floor staff are lovely, just not enough of them. Extra services promised, contracted and paid for ( extra $42 per day ) very rarely delivered if at all. Certainly not consistently. Constantly had to fight with Management to get what was contracted. My dad in here 18 months and we had 4 managers, 3 head chefs. Do not buy extra services package. ( not optional)

I first visited Opal Care in November 2019 when I was looking to place my mother into residential care. We were greeted with the Client Services Officer Alexi Lawes who showed us all over the facilities and was so compassionate and caring and made us feel very welcome. Mum moved into Opal in December and was able to choose her own room and is very happy there. The place reminds me of a beautiful hotel with lots of wide open spaces, gardens and outdoor areas that families can entertain their loved ones. The dining rooms are set up extremely well, the tables are all decorated with table cloths and serviettes and staff come around each day to give the residents a choice of lunch and evening meals for the following day. There are planned activities each day and the residents are encouraged to join in if they desire. I would also like to mention the front line staff ie, the receptionist Louise Bronkhorst who does a absolutely wonderful job in the way she interacts with families and their loved ones. She is truly a wonderful ambassador for Opal Care! The staff that i have had dealings with are all professional and caring and i feel satisfied that my mother is in the best place.

Beautiful home with amazing caring staff