The Queensland Premier said that the behaviour was in direct defiance of clear advice from the National Cabinet that there were no health reasons to keep elderly people from their loved ones prior to yesterday’s National Cabinet meeting.
“I think they should be named and shamed and I will be raising this issue with the National Cabinet – they need to stop defying the advice of both my government and the Federal Government,” she said.
“Families should be able to visit their loved ones – their elderly mums and dads, uncles and aunts and grandparents.”
“I’m extremely shocked and concerned that there are aged care homes which are saying to relatives: You can’t come and visit.”
“That is callous. It displays a lack of compassion and a lack of basic human decency.”
“It has an appalling effect on our elderly Queenslanders.”
“I’m horrified at other reports that some aged care facilities are isolating residents, not even allowing the residents to leave their rooms.”
“There’s no need for that kind of behaviour and in fact, it’s cruel.”
“I am saying to aged care home management across Queensland: Allow relatives in and follow the strong, clear advice of both the National Cabinet and Chief Health Officers.”
WA Premier Mark McGowan also called on both aged care homes and retirement villages to relax visitor restrictions for families ahead of the Cabinet meeting.
“Some of these places are just putting in place rules that aren’t actually recommended ... that’s affecting the mental health of older people, many of whom live to see their children.
“I’m going to later today call on retirement villages once again ... to do the right thing by their residents and not ban family members from visiting, what some of these retirement homes are doing at the moment is frankly wrong.”
Mr McGowan said he felt the restrictions being put in place by individual organisations was a reaction to deaths at aged care facilities in Sydney.
The Premier added as long as people who were sick stayed away and visitors followed health guidelines, they should be able to see their family.
