Aged care: "Survival of the fittest"
Peter Mac The union representing aged care staff has told a parliamentary inquiry that inadequate staffing levels are severely affecting the care of the elderly in aged care. Craig Thompson, National Secretary of the Health Services Union, told the Australian Senate inquiry into aged care in Australia that inadequate staff numbers were resulting in unsatisfactory treatment or therapy, increased chances of assault of staff and residents, and staff being forced to carry out extra duties such as laundry and cleaning work. He said that in order to conceal the situation employers were deliberately making major changes to staff numbers, care plans and records before inspections by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (ACSAA). The accreditation system currently used by the ACSAA was introduced in 1997, following a number of scandals over sub- standard treatment and even deaths in nursing homes throughout Australia. The system is intended to monitor matters such as hygiene and appropriate medication, but the inquiry has been told that it has proved to have inconsistencies and inadequacies regarding inspection and definitions of care. The union's report, which was based on examples given by nursing home staff, included cases where inadequate staffing levels had resulted in patients having to be restrained by physical or chemical means, as well as the inability of staff to answer calls from residents, organise their physiotherapy, or attend to clinical care and incontinence management for them. One of the most poignant submissions to the inquiry was made by Olive Mell, a 93-year-old patient, who pointed out that as a result of staff being overloaded with paper work and normal chores, for residents who have no visitors "there isn't a hope in hell of the staff having time to come in for a chat with them". She noted that activities or entertainment had been curtailed or abandoned at her nursing home. She described life there as "rather like prison", and added simply: "I wish I could die". The union pointed out that many nursing staff have technical college qualifications and do appallingly arduous and often distressing work, but are paid less than teenagers working in supermarkets. As a result, the union pointed out, there has been a fall-off in interest from prospective employees in aged care work. Mr Thompson stated: "In NSW alone, of the 25 facilities inspected by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency since March, a total of 12 of them have been found to be sub-standard. We believe the actual rate is much higher because the agency is failing in its role and giving too much notice before they conduct inspections, allowing staffing and records to be changed. The union has been highly critical of the Howard Government, which it said had boosted funding for aged care employers by some $1.4 billion, but had not demanded accountability measures to ensure that the funding was directed towards actually improving patient care. The union is seeking the implementation of strict staff/patient ratios. As Craig Thompson commented: "Without mandated minimum staffing levels it's the survival of the fittest in aged care."