A disabled man in a South Australian government care facility was left in soiled clothes with an infected pressure sore, an inquest has heard.

The Health and Community Services and Complaints Commissioner reviewed the man’s case after a complaint from the state ambulance service about his condition, including concerns that he was malnourished.

Prime Minister Steven Marshall said the man’s treatment was unacceptable and there was ‘no doubt we let this patient down’.

“We apologize for that,” he said.

“In this situation, we are well below an acceptable standard.”

Mr Marshall said the government had accepted all 13 of the commissioner’s recommendations and that if there was a need for change within the system, it would be put in place.

“We will take action to ensure this never happens again,” the prime minister told reporters on Monday.

The man was being cared for at a home transition center run by the South Australian Department of Social Services, designed for short stays for people with disabilities until long-term accommodation is available. find.

The man was transferred to the center in May last year after spending several months in hospital following a fall at the family home.

Commissioner Grant Davies said his investigation found serious shortcomings in the man’s care and deemed the facility unsuitable for his needs.

“I am disappointed that the care of a consumer living with a disability is once again coming under scrutiny,” said Associate Professor Davies.

“The public summary clearly outlines the deficiencies in hygiene, wound care and weight monitoring and how they led to a situation that should have been avoided.”

Among his recommendations, Prof Davies urged the department to apologize to the man and his family for the inadequate care he received.

He also called on the Transition Home Service to better assess the care and hygiene needs of its clients, review its eligibility criteria, identify the needs of people when they enter the service and put have a plan in place to ensure these needs are met.

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the commissioner’s report underscored the need for the department to have a “line of sight” to the medical needs of their customers and not just their personal needs.

“The Department of Human Services fully recognizes this and is in the process of fixing it,” he said.

“The best way to show people respect when we let them down is to make sure we take every step we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

But the state opposition said the man’s case was a ‘shameful indictment on the way this government treats the people in its care’.

“This is a shocking case and the details of the SA ambulance report on this elderly man are simply appalling,” health spokesman Chris Picton said.

Australian Associated Press