Coronavirus: Aged care homes standing firm on visitation despite PM call

Nursing homes are defying the PM’s call to allow residents to have two visitors a day during­ lockdown.

Leading Age Services Australia CEO Sean Rooney says the PM’s call has caused ‘angst and confusion’. Picture: Gary Ramage

Nursing homes are defying Scott Morrison’s call to allow residents to have two visitors a day each during­ the COVID-19 lockdown, saying most families want their loved ones’ health to be prioritised over access.

Residential aged-care providers also point to the added cost and logistic difficulties of protecting vulnerable residents and staff from coronavirus if they give more access­ to people from outside.

Many in the sector are incensed that the Prime Minister and prem­iers urged nursing homes on Tuesday not to close their homes to visitors, at a time when aged-care facilities are a COVID-19 hotspot.

They say the national cabinet’s suggestion that lockdowns are affecting­ the mental health and wellbeing of residents doesn’t accuratel­y represent what is happening on the ground, where only a minority of residents and families oppose additional restrictions, and most want their family member as physically safe as possible.

Moran Aged Care chief operating officer Jennifer Dempsey said national cabinet was asking nursing homes to allow visitors greater access to their residents than health authorities recommend for Australians older than 70 living in their own homes.

“The idea we are not thinking about the wellbeing of our residents is simply not true,” Ms Dempsey told The Australian.

“We are working so hard to maintain connection between resi­dents and their families through other means than visits.

“And if a resident is distressed, we are facilitating face-to-face contact. These decisions are best made facility by facility.”

Providers advocacy group Leading Age Services Australia chief executive officer Sean Rooney said the comments from Mr Morrison, Chief Health Officer Brendan Murphy and premiers on Tuesday “have caused angst and confusion” among nursing home providers.

“They are asking why, if government­ recommendations are telling people over 70 years of age to self-isolate, stay at home and don’t even go shopping, so many people should be allowed into an at-risk aged care facility,” Mr Rooney said.

“There is also major concern about having sufficient personal protective equipment to share with families for visits.

“The overarching fear is this will allow COVID-19 into aged-care homes, with potentially catastrophic results. Who will take respon­sibility if a resident or staff member becomes infected if restrictio­ns are relaxed?”

Mr Rooney said suggestions that residents were being locked in their rooms were incorrect. “ (Faciliti­es) are not locking people up in their rooms. They are investing millions of dollars in extra protectiv­e equipment, extra staff to care for residents and in communications to maintain connections with families and friends.”

Other seniors advocacy groups have congratulated ­the ­national cabinet for calling out nursing homes denying visits.

“A balance must be struck between keeping older people safe from the virus and keeping their health and wellbeing strong with social and mental support,” Older Persons Advocacy Network chief executive Craig Gear said,

Nursing homes are one of the most likely places at risk of corona­virus outbreaks. Four residents of Anglicare’s Newmarch House in Sydney have died this past fortnight from the disease. Overall, 44 people there have been infected, 29 residents and 15 staff.