The people the government overlooked on Aged Care Advisory Council

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The people the government overlooked on Aged Care Advisory Council

2 yrs ago

The country’s largest union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), has expressed its extreme disappointment that nursing and aged care workforce representatives have been left out of the Morrison Government’s new National Aged Care Advisory Council (Council).

The ANMF and its members are now deeply concerned that workers will have no say in the advice the council provides, which could not only further delay the delivery of some of the Aged Care Royal Commission’s key recommendations but also, once again, see those reforms fall short of what’s actually required.

“The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s Final Report explicitly recognised the workforce as the most critical component of the aged care sector in ensuring quality and safety, and recommended that until the sector has a workforce with sufficient skills and time to care, aged care reform would not be achieved,” ANMF Federal Secretary, Annie Butler, said.

“Despite this recommendation from the Government’s own Royal Commission, it continues to refuse to include the voices of aged care nurses and workers in implementing the reforms so urgently needed to improve quality and safety in the sector.

“While we welcome the appointment of the new council’s members, who will have important contributions in guiding aged care reform, especially the geriatric medicine and allied health representatives, we are simply astonished that yet again, the Morrison Government has shunned frontline aged nurses and carers, and that nursing expertise has been excluded. This is particularly concerning when we know how desperately specialist nursing skills are needed in the sector.

“Without nursing experts, unions and other workforce representatives providing input into the advice the council will provide to government on the roll-out of the Royal Commission’s recommendations, the sector will once again fail.

“The Minister needs to reconsider this decision and allow for the expertise and knowledge that aged care nurses and workers can provide if the Government is serious about improving the quality and safety of the sector.”

Do you think aged care nurses should be part of the Aged Care Advisory Council?

4 comments

rtrish

2 yrs ago

Of course!

tisme

2 yrs ago

the age care system hasn't improved in 40 years ( since I worked in it ) and typically those who work in it now aren't part of the so called reform. as it is now we brick layers running intensive care .

Hammo

2 yrs ago

The carers and nurses are completely left out of the management decision making. In Agedcare homes.and it's no surprise they are left out of the reform process.

they know how the Agedcare homes system should work and even more they see they grassroots problems.

I am afraid to grow old in this current Australia is almost a nuisance and to have Dementia as well is even harder and to be self funded and assessed under this cruel means test is just even worse.

old pe

Tom Tank

2 yrs ago

It is obvious from the Governments attitude to Aged Care that those who need this care are considered to be consumers to be exploited by the Aged Care Facilities owners. The taxpayers contribute considerable sums to Aged Care but where is the oversight to ensure those funds are being used to the benefit of the elderly?

It appears that the Royal Commission's report is doomed to be left on the shelf with major recommendations ignored. Just what sort of Government do we have?

4 comments

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The people the government overlooked on Aged Care Advisory Council

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