news
Help or harm?
Royal commissioner urges
action on visitor restrictions.
A
royal commissioner has called
for new aged care measures to
minimise the unintended harm
caused by interventions to protect older
adults from the spread of COVID-19.
The chair of the Royal Commission
into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Tony
Pagone, issued a reminder that older
adults are affected both by the potential to
contract the virus and by the “unintended
consequences of the otherwise
understandable and reasonable steps which
have been taken to ensure for their safety”.
“We have heard, and continue to
hear, of many unfortunately unintended
consequences flowing from the measures
which have been taken to comply with
the reasonable restrictions which have
been imposed upon us by government to
protect the health and wellbeing of those
intended to be protected,” Pagone said.
“Many older people have been restricted
in the number and length of family and
other visitors who have been allowed to
visit them.”
Pagone said providers, government
and the community must bear in mind
that the measures taken to protect older
adults, although designed to help, may be
causing them harm.
“There is, therefore, a need that the
measures put in place to protect frail older
people also deal with the negative aspects
of the measures designed to protect them.”
Due to restrictions on visitations, some
aged care residents are now missing out
on the supplementary care they would
otherwise receive from family members.
“The reduction of such visits from family
needs to be supplemented by additional measures to ensure a healthy and quality
life,” Pagone said.
“This may require urgent measures to
deploy suitably qualified personnel to be
directed to identifying the new needs, and
increased needs, caused by the responses
to COVID-19.
“It may also need specifically targeted
redeployment of qualified personnel
to supplement the care, support and
wellbeing measures for our vulnerable frail
community. It may also require creative
measures to supplement the personal
human contact that may be restricted or
removed during these times; for example,
providing access to electronic devices
to enable more constant contact through
video platforms where that is feasible
and meaningful.”
Pagone also reassured that the royal
commission continues its work, though
added that it has had to reorganise the way
in which it operates.
Late last month, the royal commission
announced that it had suspended all
hearings and workshops due to the spread
of COVID-19. ■
Priority access for health and emergency
workers won’t affect existing arrangements
for vulnerable and elderly customers.
Those customers will continue to have
their own special shopping hour on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Coles Group chief executive Steven
Cain said it’s important to help healthcare
and emergency services workers, who
are under enormous strain amid the
coronavirus emergency.
Woolworths is also offering specific
shopping times for the elderly, and
customers with special needs.
And, in South Australia, frontline health
staff will be offered “sanctuary” in a dedicated health hotel to better protect
themselves and their families against the
coronavirus.
The state government is in discussion
with several hotels to provide centrally
located accommodation for doctors,
nurses, SA Ambulance staff and other
healthcare workers.
The accommodation will be available on
a priority basis for those who work in the
direct ongoing clinical care of virus patients
and is expected to be available within weeks.
Premier Steven Marshall said South
Australians needed to look after one
another like never before.
“South Australia’s health professionals
are heroes of our efforts to combat
COVID-19 and it’s vital that we look after
those who look after us,” Marshall said.
“Providing hotel accommodation will not
only offer a sanctuary for health workers
during the difficult days ahead but will
also give them peace of mind that they are
minimising any risk to their families.”
The recruitment and training of nurses
and midwives will be also fast-tracked to
ensure there are enough frontline medical
staff to handle the virus.
As part of the strategy, student nurses
will also work in multidisciplinary teams in
sample collection centres, testing clinics
and border screening. ■
On special
Coles offering special shopping
for healthcare workers, and SA
staff to get hotel ‘sanctuary’.
By AAP
C
oles has announced that the
first hour of trade on Tuesdays
and Thursdays will be set aside
for frontline workers, including doctors,
nurses, paramedics and firefighters.
Workers will need to be wearing their
uniforms, carrying their work ID, or their
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation
Agency card to access stores when they
open at 7am.
agedcareinsite.com.au
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