Union launches aged care 'pulse check'

A comprehensive national review of Australia’s aged care system has been launched by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF). Assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of the Aged Care Royal Commission’s recommendations announced in 2021, Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the review will be underpinned by the insights and experiences of frontline nurses and care workers, serving as a ‘pulse check’ of the aged care sector.

The review will ask ANMF members for feedback on the key pillars of:

• staffing (ratios);
• skill mix;
• funding;
• consumer safety;
• worker safety and clinical safety.
   

It will also analyse key stakeholder and government reports on the sector’s performance.

“Despite the damning findings of the Royal Commission and its 148 recommendations over four years ago, ANMF members continue to tell us that their ability to deliver safe, quality care to residents and clients is being compromised by understaffing and unsafe workloads. Too many of them say nothing seems to have changed,” Butler said.

“These reports are supported by government data which clearly shows that many providers across the country are failing to meet their legislated obligations. This is very troubling. But what’s even worse, more troubling and disturbing is that some providers are manipulating the system to avoid genuinely meeting staffing requirements by changing rosters for frontline nurses and direct care workers, including cuts to rostered staffing hours, shift lengths and shift times, particularly night and weekend shifts, and changing workers’ job titles and classifications to include them in mandated care minutes reports. It’s why the delivery of care continues to be compromised in residential aged care facilities.

“These behaviours, coupled with an ongoing failure of some providers to pass on tax payer-funded wage increases to their staff, are not only driving quality staff away from the sector but are risking the health, safety and happiness of the older Australians in their care.

“This is a deeply distressing situation for ANMF members. It also risks undermining the government’s commitment to reform of the sector and its implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations. Most importantly it risks perpetuating the neglect of older people uncovered by the Royal Commission.

“To ensure that does not happen, we need to undertake this urgent ‘pulse check’ of the aged care system, and address these fundamental problems, so we can avoid the need for another Royal Commission in the future.”

A new ANMF campaign focused on aged care staffing, funding and workforce planning will be informed by the ANMF national survey, Butler said.

Image credit: iStock.com/DMP