Diane Daniels recalls being accidentally called by her 95-year-old bedridden mother, Emily Flanagan, only to hear her crying out for a nurse.

"It was lunchtime, I thought someone would come into mum's room but I could hear that no one did," Ms Daniels told the royal commission into aged care on Wednesday.

"I waited but mum began sobbing, and saying 'I wish I was out of it'. This broke my heart."

Ms Daniels said in August she found dried faeces on the floor of her mother's room, which took more than a week to be cleaned.

The commission heard Bupa from 2016 to 2018 introduced policies to cut staff hours at its facilities across Australia to save money without appearing to give adequate attention to residents' care.

The company's South Hobart home was sanctioned in October last year for failing to meet 32 of 44 national standards and placing some residents' at "immediate and severe" risk.

Dr Elizabeth Monks, who has worked as a general practitioner at the home since 2016, raised understaffing issues for years before the failed audit.

She told the inquiry emails to higher management fell on deaf ears.

"I felt there was a feeling amongst those in the central office that I was histrionic, over reactive, over passionate and therefore ... not valid," she said.

In a 2016 email to a regional director, Dr Monks warned of premature resident deaths due to a lack of staff.

"If people had have listened and acted, we could have fixed quite a number of the problems," she said.

Ms Daniels said her mother was rarely taken for walks or onto a balcony for fresh air because staff didn't have time.

"I know that she spends her life in the bed or in the chair," she said.

"Bupa South Hobart seemed to think that is okay. I believe that this is neglect and makes a sham of their publicised values."

Ms Flanagan was left sweating on a hot summer day, in a bed under a blanket wearing thick socks, Ms Daniels said.

"My family thought we were doing the right thing by putting mum in care."

"We knew that she would deteriorate physically and cognitively because of the dementia. But it has been really hard as an extended family to witness her emotional distress when we believe that her care has been deficient."

South Hobart was re-accredited in August after meeting standards.

Dr Monks said extra staff and managers had been hired and there was now greater access to equipment.

Commission hearings in Hobart are examining governance at the South Hobart home, with current and former Bupa managers and administrators yet to give evidence.

Australian Associated Press