DCM Director – Industry Engagement Judy Martin (and Chair of the Global Ageing Network (GAN), which represents aged care operators from around the world) has shared the latest update from UK providers – and it is grim news.
Operators are calling for a ‘ring of steel’ to be placed around homes after research by aged care peak National Care Forum (NCF) estimated that the number of COVID-19 resident deaths doubled in the week leading up to 13 April to 4,040.
NCF’s Executive Director, Vic Rayner, has labelled the numbers devastating – but says they are still not being recorded in the Government’s daily tracking of COVID-19 deaths.
“All attention has been on tracking deaths and flattening the peak in hospitals, with no data driven focus on how this virus is attacking our most vulnerable communities in our care homes,” she said.
“Until we understand this, we should not be contemplating an exit strategy from the current lockdown, or we risk the lives of the most vulnerable.”
The NCF is calling on the Government to provide:
- Councils to pass on the £3.2 billion (AUD$5.5 billion) they have now received from Government to care providers to help them pay for the costs of battling COVID at speed, and as partners.
- Sufficient PPE both now and in the weeks ahead.
- Routine testing of both staff and residents to start now at pace and carry on as long as they need it.
- Immediate access to both the returning nurse workforce and army of volunteers that the Government has assembled.
- Care homes to be recognised as a key priority for support from GPs and district nurses. A specific action plan onsite to have onsite the right medical equipment and resources to monitor vital signs.
- Learnings from hospitals to be translated into management plans for aged care staff.
Vic says the campaign is receiving some traction – the NCF now hopes that this will translate through to action.
