Nursing home staff cuts 'absolutely diabolical'

STAFF cuts will endanger the health and well-being said the daughter of a woman in a Goonellabah aged care home.

STAFF CUTS: "Absolutely diabolical” is how the daughter of a Caroona resident describes Uniting Care's move to cut staff numbers at the aged care home. Picture: Obencem

THE daughter of a woman in an aged care home facing dramatic staff cuts said she is "incredibly concerned” that staff numbers will be reduced.

Jacqui Danielson, 58, said to cut staff at Uniting Care Caroona, "would be absolutely diabolical.”

On May 2, The Northern Star broke the news Uniting Caroona planned to cut 25 jobs, and reduce hours for another 60 workers.

The job cuts would affect kitchen and catering staff, while shift reductions will affect catering, cleaning and physiotherapy staff.

"To say that I am outraged... is an understatement.,” Ms Danielson said.

"My mother who 80 is a resident at Caroona and I have seen first hand, for over the last year how this facility operates.”

Ms Danielson said her mother who now suffers from dementia, has been at Caroona for two years.

"To say that staff and funding will be cut is absolutely outrageous, staffing is already minimal and I don't think that residents get the care and attention that they need, only because of the shortage of staff,” she said.

"I have no complaints about the staff, they are very, very good, but there are simply not enough of them.”

Ms Danielson said she visited her mother, often daily to ensure she is fed as she is unable to feed herself.

"With the shortage of staff, that is proposed, they cannot spend one-on-one care with residents to ensure this happens,” she said.

"Sometimes I am there every day at dinner-time, I go there after work, it's very, very sad, heartbreaking.”

As a community, Ms Danielson said we need to care for our most vulnerable who cannot care for themselves.

"My mum can't talk, she can't speak and does not walk, she's in a particularly bad way and she can't communicate with the staff,” she said.

"If anything, more funding should be available to aged care, these men and women have paid their taxes for years,” she said.

"The staff are overworked, so if more are being laid off, the health and well-being of the residents is under threat.

"I've also contacted (Page MP) Kevin Hogan and (Lismore MP) Janelle Saffin, asking them to look into this.”

Mr Hogan, Ms Saffin and Uniting Care have been contacted for comment.