Noosacare asks families to care for patients amid aged care ‘crisis’

A nursing home that recently spent $100k on RATs and PPE was so desperate they asked families to look after their loved ones because Covid-19 had affected too many staff.

An aged care facility put out an SOS to residents’ families to look after their patients because Covid-19 had affected too many of its staff.

The revelation comes as the same facility spent $100,000 on rapid antigen tests and PPE to combat the Omicron wave which has claimed the lives of 127 aged care residents as of Friday.

Noosacare CEO Megan D’Elton said at its worst 18 staff and 16 residents across its two Noosa Shire facilities had the virus – forcing them into lockdown and leaving many carers unable to come to work.

Nursing unions have described the situation as a “crisis” with Covid-19 exacerbating staff shortages.

Staff members, Tia McCallum and Leon Bailey. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Ms D’Elton said the situation was so bad that they asked residents’ families to volunteer to care for their loved ones.

“We were so overwhelmed with the support that we have a schedule for families to book in a day and time to come and help out with mum or dad,” Ms D’Elton said.

“We had to think outside the box.

“This is not going away, it’s not like the flu season.”

Gael Borg visiting her dad Don Robinson, 90, at Noosacare’s Carramar aged care facility. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Visits have also changed with families now meeting their loved ones outside for “balcony visits”.

Gael Borg, whose father Don Robinson has been at Carramar for more than 12 months, said the outdoor visits were a “life saving” alternative to lockdowns.

“Because my dad has dementia it’s difficult for him to understand what’s going on,” she said.

“To organise these visits so we can see each other and talk has made it a lot better for both of us.

“He needs that extra company and visits, it would have been very hard for him without this.

“I think he would have gone downhill considerably without the contact.

Ms D’Elton said the not-for-profit organisation was also struggling to keep up with outbreak costs with 4000 RATs ordered recently at a cost of $53,000.

With tests every two days for the 420 staff Ms D’Elton said the latest delivery would only last weeks.

“That’s been the biggest cost and it’s not something you budget for,” she said.

Fiona Horner has volunteered to help care for patients at Noosacare’s aged care facilities. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“Even with PPE the number of stock you have to have when you have an outbreak is more than what you anticipate for a normal flu season.

“Prices have been going up too, RATs have been insane.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has slammed the federal government’s handling of the aged care sector, with over half of Queensland’s Covid-19 deaths occurring in nursing homes.

Mr Miles said the government should have ensured the elderly had their booster shots earlier.

He said reports of residents being abandoned due to staff shortages were “nothing short of a national disgrace”.

Last week the federal government offered an up to $400 bonus for aged care workers but Ms D’Elton said that failed to address the challenges.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation assistant secretary Lori-Anne Sharp estimated it would be reduced to $140 after tax for a typical, part-time aged care worker.

“Aged care is in crisis,” Ms Sharp said.

“Chronic understaffing across the system has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, with care staff unable to provide elderly residents with the quality care they need.”

Ms D’Elton said she wanted more recognition of aged care as a valuable industry.

“The staff have been absolutely amazing, I’m so proud of each and every one of them,” she said.

“We need recognition that aged care staff are underpaid.

“Especially those in residential aged care, they’re low paid and they have the stress and anxiety of having to make sure the residents are safe from Covid.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week acknowledged the pressure the pandemic placed on aged care.

He said the Australian Defence Force was approached to determine what support it could offer.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety handed down its final report last year which pointed out several significant issues in aged care throughout the pandemic.

A department of health spokesman said it supported aged care facilities through access to PPE and RAT kits through the national medical stockpile, in-reach testing services and workforce surge resources.

They said funding was available to reimburse facilities for the cost of tests and PPE.