news
‘Secret’ audit
Peaks respond to media reports
of union’s ‘secret’ aged care audit.
By Dallas Bastian
T
wo peak bodies have reiterated that
quality in aged care is continuously
assessed, following media reports
that called into question the quality of care
across Queensland facilities.
The comments come on the heels of a
“secret audit” of the state’s facilities, released
by the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’
Union (QNMU). Nurses who work for the
union travelled the state to visit privately run
residential aged care facilities, meet with
their colleagues and report the findings.
The QNMU said of the facilities audited –
70 in 30 federal Queensland electorates –
80 per cent were dangerously understaffed.
Aged & Community Services Australia
(ACSA) and Leading Age Services Australia
(LASA) said the subsequent media reports
focused on quality concerns in a small
number of Queensland residential aged care
facilities and highlighted that 10 of the state’s
445 facilities are currently responding to the
Australian Aged Care Quality Agency about
improving a particular aspect of their service.
ACSA chief executive Pat Sparrow
stressed that all residential aged care
facilities, including those in Queensland,
are regularly audited against the Aged
Care Quality Standards and are required to
address any issues identified.
“Like any human service, there are
isolated incidents where errors and
oversights occur, and the community
should be assured that the regulatory
processes function to identify and remedy
those,” Sparrow said.
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Sean Rooney, chief executive of LASA,
said Australia has a good aged care
system and added a good system can
always be better.
Following the release of the QNMU report,
union secretary Beth Mohle said 79 per cent
of aged care staff surveyed said their facilities
were dangerously understaffed.
“Behind closed doors, in almost every city
and town, registered nurses are being left to
look after up to 200 residents at a time. While
nurses and other staff are doing their best,
they simply can’t meet the demand for care
under those circumstances.”
She added findings also revealed
that unqualified staff are administering
potentially life-threatening medications,
and that residents are falling and not
being checked, and regularly experience
malnutrition and dehydration.
QNMU wants to see nurse-to-resident
ratios and the public reporting of staff
numbers and resident outcomes for each
individual facility made law.
“Queensland and Australian nurses and
midwives are taking this matter into their
own hands and will not rest until Australian
laws are introduced to protect the elderly –
and those who care for them,” Mohle said.
ACSA and LASA said providers ensure
their facilities are resourced according to
flexible staffing models that can deliver
the right level of staffing, and a skills
mix appropriate to regularly changing
occupancy levels and the needs of residents
at each individual site.
The peaks added that they remain prepared
to work with the government, unions and
other stakeholders to ensure the community
has trust and confidence in the care provided.
“Ultimately, service providers, government
and the wider community all share a desire
for a high-performing aged care sector.” ■
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