Prime Minister Scott Morrison has directed a sharp warning to aged care providers after many refused to back down on visitor restrictions, announcing that the Government will be moving to require aged care homes to have an exemption to the federal arrangements which allow two visits per resident per day.
Speaking after the National Cabinet meeting on Friday afternoon, Mr Morrison stated:
“On aged care, there is a meeting this evening, a webinar, and national cabinet has continued to stress its concern about restrictions that are being put in place in aged care facilities, as I noted earlier this week, beyond the baseline requirements of what national cabinet has agreed, based on the expert medical advice.”
“So, we are flagging – I am flagging very clearly at a federal level – that should we not see an improvement in this area, under the voluntary arrangements that we currently have in place, that the commonwealth would be moving to require aged care facilities that wish to have an exemption to those national principles, those national arrangements, then they would need to seek authority to do that from the commonwealth, and we would make such a decision in consultation with the relevant state and territory jurisdiction.”
“Now, there are quite valid reasons why you would have exemptions, particularly as we’ve seen in north-west Tasmania at the moment, or what we’ve seen in western Sydney or in other places. That is entirely sensible as to why you would have restrictions that are greater than the national baseline in those circumstances.”
“Totally reasonable,” he added.
“But more broadly, having people stuck in their rooms, not being able to be visited by their loved ones and carers and other support people, that’s not OK.”
“And so, let’s see how the industry goes with that. We would very much like to keep these things on a basis where aged care facilities are exercising their proper discretion.”
“But we are not going to have these as secret places, where people can’t access them.”
Aged Care Minister Senator Richard Colbeck also backed the PM’s comments saying while providers shared a responsibility to protect the wellbeing of Senior Australians in care, total lockdowns of facilities were not supported by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) or the National Cabinet.
Minister Colbeck said that aged care providers that wish to have an exemption from the national arrangements should seek authority through the Commonwealth.
However, he said the call to work to the AHPPC recommendations was not a green light to go back to pre-COVID visitation routines.
Given the situation at Newmarch House, this is hardly likely to occur.
The message from the Prime Minister is clear: let families visit voluntarily – or be forced to.
But will the Government also provide the support that providers will need to allow family members to visit, as outlined by Benetas CEO Sandra Hills?
We think not.
Will the Government accept the responsibility if visitor restrictions are eased and another aged care home suffers a major outbreak?