Troops poised to deploy on to aged-care frontline

About 100 Defence Force personnel are poised to be deployed into aged care, with 200 more waiting to be sent into facilities after completing their training.

Jeta Gardens aged care facility in Bethania, southeast of Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker

About 100 Defence Force personnel are poised to be deployed into aged care, with 200 more waiting to be sent into facilities after completing their training.

However, a peak union has warned that while the ADF would provide “some respite” to aged-care homes, the effort so far was “not enough” and more needed to be done to attract new and retired workers into the sector.

Scott Morrison last week announced ADF personnel would “fill the gap” left by the latest wave of the pandemic, with one-­quarter of aged-care worker shifts left vacant, promising that up to 1700 men and women would be made available.

So far, 100 people in “augmentation teams” are poised to enter facilities struggling the most.

A further 17 military planners have been embedded in the commonwealth Department of Health to co-ordinate efforts across the country.

A Department of Defence spokesperson said it was initially readying 50 personnel for NSW, SA, Victoria and Queensland.

It comes as one of Queensland’s aged-care homes, Jeta Gardens, this month became the centre of the state’s deadliest outbreak, with 15 people succumbing to the virus since Christmas.

“Provision of support will be determined following joint planning by the departments of Health and Defence,” a spokesperson said. They confirmed the plan was still to deploy “approximately 1700” staff to the sector.

“Defence support will be subject to detailed planning and co-ordination with the Department of Health,” they said.

“Personnel will provide clinical and non-clinical support, generalist and administrative support such as screening of entrants to facilities, providing companionship to residents, supporting with meals and other non-direct care functions to take the pressure off qualified aged-care workers and medical staff. ADF personnel will receive appropriate induction and training to ensure they are able to supplement and assist existing aged-care staff as required.”

The ADF has deployed 24,000 personnel since March 2020 as part of “Operation Covid-19 Assist”.

It comes ahead of Senate estimates this week, where the government’s handling of aged care is set to be of focus.

Labor has ramped up its attack on the government in past weeks and has called on the Aged Care Services Minister, Richard ­Colbeck, to resign immediately.

Health Services Union national secretary Lloyd Williams said while the ADF would provide “some respite” to aged-care homes, it was “not enough … We need all hands on deck, we need as many as we can get.”

The Prime Minister on Monday said the ADF would not be a “surrogate workforce for the aged care sector”.

Mr Williams pushed for longer-term solutions, such as better pay to attract people into the sector and incentives to bring back those who had retired. It follows aged-care workers canvassing in parliament last week for better pay and conditions.