Anika Wells has defended the Federal Government’s legislation requiring aged care homes to have around-the-clock Registered Nursing care, a key 2022 Federal election commitment.
She spoke after Wesley Mission Reverend Stu Cameron yesterday announced it will close its three remaining Sydney aged care homes: Wesley Rayward Carlingford, Wesley Taylor Narrabeen, and Wesley Vickery Sylvania – forcing 200 residents to find new homes.
Image: New Life Church
Rev Cameron cited “challenges to workforce and the flow-on impacts from the national reforms.”
Minister Wells was having none of it, stating she met Rev Cameron just two weeks ago and the closure of the residential aged care homes was never mentioned. She also said the 24/7 RN coverage had been a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Safety and Quality, which handed in its Final Report over two years ago.
“If they had I would have told them the government provides a lot of resources and information to facilities struggling to meet the requirements we are asking them for,” Ms Wells said.
Minister Wells told the 550 sector executives at the LEADERS SUMMIT 2023 in Sydney last month that she was not going to close any aged care home on 1 July if it was unable to provide 24/7 RN coverage, provided they were trying to meet the target.
“I am not strapping on my GroPro and Blundstones and kicking downs the doors of any facilities on 1 July that have failed to meet 24/7 nursing requirements. I appreciate the scale of what we are asking people to do,” she said yesterday.
An updated version of this story has been published here.
