Highlighting the work done to date which have given consumers more say in aged care services as well an ensuring Australians have access to high quality care as they get older, The Legislated Review of Aged Care 2017 was released recently.

The Australian College of Nursing were pleased to see The Legislated Review of Aged Care 2017 discuss the following:

• Additional home care packages
• Improvements to the My Aged Care information system
• Improved service delivery to aged patients living in regional, rural and remote areas who wish to stay in their communities
• A focus on aged care workforce’s recruitment, training and retention
• Development of a national approach to workforce planning
• On-site availability of at least one Registered Nurse in residential aged care facilities

“We broadly welcome the reforms already implemented, the additional home care packages, and improvements to the My Aged Care information system,” Australian College of Nursing CEO, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN said.

“However, it is vital that all Australians share in these reforms. We are pleased the Government recognises the need to do more to support older Australians living in regional, rural and remote areas who wish to stay in their communities. The College looks forward to working with the Commonwealth to develop initiatives to improve service delivery right around the country. We also want to make sure there is equity of access and outcomes for all, including the most vulnerable members of our community.

“In particular, the Australian College of Nursing is pleased by the focus on workforce. As Australia’s population ages, the aged care workforce, particularly numbers of aged care nurses, must keep pace.”

A survey by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has found that 92% of the nursing and carer workforce in aged care complain about working in a facility with inadequate staff and not enough care hours.

Of great concern to those surveyed by the ANMF is that the improper ratio of patients to nurses compromises the quality of care patients receive.

ANMF National Secretary Lee Thomas said, “The survey shows that some providers are again, citing financial sustainability as the rationale for nursing cuts, as a result of reduced federal funding, but the Government is putting the blame squarely back on the providers – and it’s the residents who are caught in the middle.

“The real problem is that without any mandated staffing levels or care hours in aged care, the Federal Government is allowing providers to determine ‘adequate’ levels of care to meet the basic needs of their residents and as we’ve recently seen, some providers simply cannot be trusted to do the right thing.

“Nurses are being sacked and care hours dramatically reduced and with less nurses, fewer carers and reduced hours, workloads for staff are increasing to dangerous levels and ultimately, it means care is being compromised and residents are suffering.”