Brooke Carman wrote to the health minister last month over her concerns about the operation of Oxford Court. She had been fired from the rest-home in October and was undertaking a personal grievance against it, which had yet to be heard.
She said staff were regularly abused and patients felt unsafe at times.
In mid-November, she had written to Mr Brown outlining her concerns.
Mr Brown had replied to the letter and said although staffing issues were for the employer, the government was responsible for the welfare of aged care facilities.
In the letter, he said HNZ had received similar concerns via the Health Integrity Line, the Health and Disability Advocate and HealthCERT. Mr Brown said they may not have reached the threshold for initiating a WorkSafe response, it was noted.
"Nor does it minimise the harm that the person who notified us may have suffered," Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown said HNZ worked with NZ Aged Care Services, who owns Oxford Court, for several weeks before conducting an audit on December 9-10.
"This audit identified several areas for improvement, which have been shared with Oxford Court management.
"I have been assured that Health NZ will follow up to ensure that the findings are addressed promptly and the required improvements have been made."
New Zealand Aged Care Services Ltd operates the rest-home and has rejected the nature and scope of the claims. It was committed to delivering high-quality care, and the dignity and wellbeing of its residents and staff remained their highest priority at all times, it said.
Mrs Carman said she was pleased to receive the letter from Mr Brown.
She thought Mr Brown’s actions were proactive, with careful consideration given to affected residents, families and staff.
"Even though WorkSafe didn’t conduct a formal investigation, he acknowledged those affected and the validity of our concerns."
She said the number of complaints made to different organisations such as the Health and Disability Commission and Ministry of Health about Oxford Court was telling.
"It was heartening to know that intervention has been started along with the recent audit."
