Hundreds of aged care homes are yet to receive information on how to apply for Australian Defence Force help as staff shortages in the sector push some operators to close their doors.
Throughout the pandemic,six people have died in Victoria’s state-run aged care homes compared to more than 900 in private and non-profit settings – and there’s broad agreement on the factors at play.
Confining aged care residents to their rooms must be replaced by managing coronavirus like flu or gastro outbreaks,says the boss of a nursing home group that has successfully fought back the virus.
Amid a shocking Omicron death toll in aged care homes,the caring part is work that Australians prefer to avoid,but the migrants who normally fill the gap cannot come here.
Aged care homes with COVID-19 outbreaks should aim to separate sick individuals from fellow residents rather than locking down entire facilities,according to expert medical advice.
Healthcare workers had to wear incontinence underwear during their shifts because they were unable to get to the bathroom,a parliamentary hearing was told.
The country’s leaders are preparing to discuss visitation rights and the vaccine rollout in a national cabinet meeting.
The federal government must come up with sustained initiatives to make careers in the aged-care sector more attractive. This means wages need to increase permanently.
Problems and pressures from the public get so great it means the government has to relent and start spending more.
The Productivity Commission should be tasked with deciding how to find the extra $7 billion to $15 billion a year needed to fix the aged care system,advocates say.
The federal government appears to have seen an opportunity to provide a bonus to aged-care workers instead of what is really warranted – a pay rise.