In the short time that 86-year-old Mick Rebbett has lived at the Eden Bupa-run aged care home, it has been sanctioned by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission multiple times.

Key points: The Bupa aged care home in Eden has been sanctioned multiple times and is now under new management

The Bupa aged care home in Eden has been sanctioned multiple times and is now under new management The home has been reaccredited but new management says they "still have a few things to learn"

The home has been reaccredited but new management says they "still have a few things to learn" Resident Mick Rebbett says he has always been treated well but staff have been affected by the negative publicity

Mr Rebbett said in spite of the failures of past management, the quality of care he received from staff there had never wavered, describing staff as compassionate and more like friends to him.

But he has seen the way staff have been affected by the negative publicity surrounding the facility's sanctions.

"They feel it themselves, like they're part of the problem and they're not. How can you get to the point where you're failing so many objectives?" he said.

"Where have the inspectors been? Where have the monitors been? It doesn't happen overnight, so why was it allowed to get like that?"

He said residents at the home on the New South Wales south coast were lucky now to be under the care of new management but it should never have gotten to the state it did.

Lack of accountability behind troubles says new manager

Earlier this year, the facility's accreditation was revoked after it met just 14 of 44 benchmarks, including a failure to meet expected outcomes for pain management, hydration, nutrition, and palliative care.

The home has now been reaccredited, with the latest audit showing it met 31 of 42 requirements.

Bupa Eden resident Mick Rebbett chose to enter care two years ago. ( ABC South East NSW: Vanessa Milton )

Annette Guilfoyle took over as the home's general manager in March this year and put the facility's troubles down to a lack of accountability.

But she said significant progress had been made towards achieving compliance.

"We've still got a few things to learn, we're not there yet. We're building the team so that it's sustainable into the future," she said.

"It's been very much about training staff to follow procedures and do things by the book and make sure all the documentation is done."

Ms Guilfoyle said the inability to secure GP coverage for the facility was a major factor in the home's failings.

Going into care by choice

Mr Rebbett moved in to the Bupa aged care home two years ago after he instinctively knew his days of independent living were behind him.

He visited a number of nursing homes before choosing Bupa Eden, impressed by the warm welcome he received from staff.

"I was very apprehensive when I first came in," he said.

"I thought 'this is a place to go and wait to die', but it's not like that at all, and there shouldn't be that sort of feeling."

Mick Rebbett now paints and photographs birds he sees in the birdbath outside his window. ( ABC South East NSW: Vanessa Milton )

Moving into care was quite an adjustment for Mr Rebbett, who had lived on his own for almost 30 years.

"The hardest thing I had to do was to get used to people saying, 'Can I do this for you? Can I do that for you? Can I make your bed?'," he said.

He said the fact that he had made his own decision to enter care made a difference.

"In a lot of cases, people are put into care by their families and [they] don't want to be here," Mr Rebbett said.

"Gradually you see these people come out of their shells and they're talked into joining in the activities and getting to know the other residents."

With the encouragement of staff and volunteers, Mr Rebbett took up painting, and is also now a keen photographer.

"I asked them if they would put a bird bath out there, which they did, and now the birds come and bathe there and I take photos of them," he said.

"Why do I like birds? Freedom I think. They just bring you joy."

Call for more government funding in aged care

While the sanctions remain in the place, the aged care home is unable to accept any new residents.

It currently houses only 46 residents, despite having capacity for 85.

Ms Guilfoyle acknowledged the home was not financially viable with the current number of residents, but said she was confident it would meet the regulator's requirements by the November 16 deadline.

She said the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission was doing a thorough job and she welcomed the level of scrutiny.

Ms Guilfoyle said that in her personal view, staff in aged care were not paid enough and she felt there needed to be more government funding.

"I'm hoping that will come out of the Royal Commission — and that's my personal view," she said.

Mr Rebbett has never regretted his decision to accept that he needed care.

"It's not a place to wait to die; it's to help you along and live as long as you possibly can," he said.

"And while you are alive, be happy."