Profit must not come first in aged care. That’s what the Australian College of Nursing’s (ACN) message to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee boiled down to. Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward provided evidence to the committee’s inquiry on ‘Effectiveness of ...
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Staff ratios won’t cost you a thing: royal commission day three
Properly staffing aged care facilities with an adequate nursing skill mix and at least four hours and 18 minutes per-patient per-day care minimum would not cost the sector anything more than it currently outlays. That’s according to a report presented ...
More »The first witnesses are called: royal commission Monday
“I’m sure if I had taken Bob to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in the state he was in, I would have been reported to the police." That's how Oakden whistleblower Barbara Spriggs recounted the injuries her late husband sustained at the ...
More »Experts question mandated two-hourly repositioning
Alternating air pressure mattresses (APAMs), not two-hourly repositioning, is the key to preventing bed sores. What’s more, the constant mandated repositioning of residents in aged care could be a form of unintentional abuse and ultimately unlawful. This is according to ...
More »Aged care royal commission: day one
“The hallmark of a civilised society is how it treats its most vulnerable people and our elderly are often amongst our most physically, emotionally and financially vulnerable.” These were some of the final words from commissioner Richard Tracey on the ...
More »Reablement of the best aged care policy no one ever heard of
Sometimes the best ideas are so obvious no one seems to pay attention to them. Reablement is such a clever idea that it seems almost unnecessary to have a specialised word in aged care for it. Yet it may be ...
More »Committee recommends publishing aged care staffing levels
Aged care providers should be required to report staff-to-patient ratios for their facilities each quarter, a committee investigating the move has told parliament. In a new report, the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport recommended the passage of ...
More »Economic value of healthcare workforce vs support out of balance: WA report
The health sector is making a considerable contribution to WA’s coffers, but this value may not be reflected in support for its workforce, according to a new report. To Health and Happiness: WA’s Health Industry Future, released by the Bankwest ...
More »Calling it out: the role of the whistleblower in aged care
Blowing the whistle or 'dobbing in' a manager or work colleague for illegal or unethical behaviour might seem at odds with Australian culture, but that’s the service a Melbourne-based company is providing for a range of businesses. In the current ...
More »Nurses react: aged care watchdog legislation, quality standards overhaul
Nurses have welcomed the new aged care quality standards that will take effect mid next year, following a function held in Parliament House to thank those involved in their development. The Aged Care Quality Standards will replace the existing four sets of standards and ...
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