Action on Elderly Abuse Now – which claims to have over 6,000 members and supporters includes advocacy groups Angels for the Elderly Foundation, Bill’s Advocacy for Aged Care and Greysafe – is calling for a Royal Commission into residential aged care.
Its spokesperson Charli Darragh – whose mother was murdered in a residential aged care facility in 2014 by an employee – says the ABC 7.30 Report’s recent two-part story on aged care facilities had prompted the group to take action.
“The increase in reportable assaults … follows years of aged care operators reducing nurse to patient ratios and a systematic dismantling of the nursing profession by governments and aged care operators focused on saving dollars rather than saving resident’s lives,” Ms Darragh said.
“We’ve seen review after review take place for a number of years. Nothing changes.”
Thanks to the internet and social media, today’s children of care residents are better educated and more easily mobilised.
Better informed families can only be a good thing, but the sector will have to equally rise to the challenge of providing better information.
In a separate case reported here, a Bundaberg man requested a fluid chart to check on his mother’s care – another sign the baby boomer generation is not going to stay quiet on aged care issues.
As we mentioned here, the report date for the Fed Govt’s national review into aged care quality led by Kate Carnell has been pushed back after it was inundated with over 400 submissions – including from the public.
Compare this to the recent Senate inquiry into aged care quality assessment and accreditation commissioned after the Oakden scandal in SA. It’s attracted just 12 submissions – mainly from industry groups including ACSA and LASA – according to Australian Ageing Agenda.
The Senate inquiry will now hold a public hearing on November 21 in Adelaide before it reports back by 18 February – will the boomers make their voices heard here too?
