Senator Richard Colbeck has confirmed yet again that the Australia Health Principal Protection Committee (AHPPC) advice will not change to support tougher restrictions on visitors to aged care homes during an interview with Fran Kelly on RN Breakfast yesterday morning.
You can listen to the program here.
The Minister said while there is scope for additional restrictions in homes affected by COVID-19 outbreaks, he said both the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy, and the Prime Minister Scott Morrison remained concerned that “lengthy periods of time with older Australians isolated without personal contact with their loved ones is not good for them”.
“This is a very delicate balance and I completely understand that the aged care sector has acted with the best of intent with respect to keeping COVID-19 out of their facilities and I have to say, give them credit, they’ve done a really good job,” he said.
“We’ve only had a few incidents. We’ve seen how badly it can get away for us if we don’t pick it up early,” he added.
Asked if the decision by providers to refuse to open their doors to non-essential visitors was the reason Australia had “kept a lid” on COVID-19 infections in residential care, Minister Colbeck credited the joint actions of the sector and the Government.
He said the decision to ask all operators to open up their homes to visitors was for the “broader wellbeing of residents”.
“It’s not an open slather exercise,” he stressed. “Everyone who goes into a facility should be screened to mitigate for the risks.”
The Minister also added that people who had had contact with someone with COVID-19, people with respiratory symptoms, children aged under 16, anyone who has not had a flu vaccination from 1 May and anyone who had returned from overseas in the last 14 days should still not visit.
However, Minister Colbeck still seemed to be under the misunderstanding that operators planned for these restrictions to stay in place long-term.
“It is just not sustainable… if this goes on for six months, for example, that people won’t have access to their families for that level of time,” he said.
As discussed in yesterday’s issue, operators tell us they do not intend to restrict visitors for six months.
Ms Kelly also questioned what the Government would do if operators continued to resist the directive – including whether financial penalties could be imposed.
“We will continue the discussion with them,” the Minister replied, avoiding the question.
Minister Colbeck also said that COTA had put forward the idea for a voluntary Code of Conduct will also be the subject of further conversations with the sector.
“Do you have deeper worries about people being kept out of sight, out of mind of their loved ones, about poor behaviour by the homes, mistreatment?” Ms Kelly asked.
“One of the things that does sit in the back of my mind, behind all of this is we still have a Royal Commission going on into the aged care sector,” the Minister replied. “I don’t want to see allegations coming forward of people, of mistreatment in the aged care sector.”
“The Royal Commission has said they will be looking into this, into the management of COVID-19,” he added. “I see the very good performance of the aged care sector as a real opportunity to rebuild community confidence.”
COVID-19 may well improve the confidence of the sector in the eyes of the community – but what will it take to restore operators’ trust in Government?
