Elderly deserve safe care in homes

High-quality and safe care should be a daily practice at residential nursing homes, the aged-care royal commission has been told.

Nursing home residents deserve providers that regard high-quality and safe care.

Nursing home residents deserve providers that regard high-quality and safe care as a daily practice and not just a stated vision, the aged-care royal commission has heard.

Counsel assisting the commission Peter Rozen QC also warned on Friday about the risks older Australians face when aged-care providers put profits before people.

Closing a week of evidence into governance in aged care, Mr Rozen said increasing the obligation of boards to ensure quality and safe care should be considered as part of the commission’s final recommendations.

“This week we’ve heard about the risks to the frail and vulnerable residents that may arise when governing bodies of ­approved providers prioritise ­financial and funding considerations over quality and safe care,” Mr Rozen said.

“We must have an aged-care system in which organisations have the governance, leadership culture and skills to ensure that high quality and safe care becomes not just a stated vision but the daily practice of all involved in caring for older Australians.

“This is what our elderly citizens deserve.”

The commission spent the week examining failings of care and governance at three Tasmanian nursing homes, two owned by Southern Care Tasmania, and one owned by Bupa Aged Care. There was evidence that in a difficult financial climate, the governance culture of each ­organisation looked to commercial considerations ahead of quality and safety of resident care.

“Financial viability must be a central consideration of proper business management in both profit and not-for-profit entities,” Mr Rozen said. “Indeed it is a legal obligation. But it must be remembered that financial ­viability is a means to an end in aged care, it is not an end in itself.

“With some justification many witnesses we called considered that financial considerations were prioritised at Southern Cross Care Tasmania and Bupa South Hobart at the expense of care.

“It can’t be ignored that the changes that were made at both Bupa and Southern Cross Care Tasmania were driven by legitimate financial concerns and centred on maximising income and reducing costs.”