Older persons advocates blast the government over Covid pandemic

Older persons’ advocates and the residential aged care sector have blasted the state and commonwealth governments’ handling of the Covid pandemic.

COTA chief executive Patricia Sparrow said the aged-care sector, particularly in Victoria, ‘experienced devastating effects from the pandemic’.

Older persons’ advocates and the residential aged-care sector have blasted state and commonwealth government handling of the Covid pandemic, saying the tough and protracted lockdowns had crippling and long-lasting effects on the elderly.

In submissions to the Albanese government’s Covid-19 inquiry, Older Person’s Advocacy Network and Council on the Ageing said state-sanctioned lockdowns caused older people deep distress, with the policy continuing to have long-term impacts on people in aged care.

“While OPAN understands lack of resources, including staffing shortages to manage outbreaks, impacted some of these decisions, it caused confusion, great frustration and distress,” it said. “It denied families connection with their loved ones and the ability to provide support to them at a critical time.

“It had, and continues to have, long-term effects on people living in residential aged care.

“In future pandemics, if a provider goes above and beyond government restrictions, there needs to be a way of validating that it is necessary while still maintaining family and community connection, which is vital to the health and wellbeing of older people.”

COTA chief executive Patricia Sparrow said the aged-care sector, particularly in Victoria, “experienced devastating effects from the pandemic” and lockdowns had “serious consequences for mental health as well as physical impacts for those required to stay in their rooms (and) losing mobility”.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has published some 2100 submissions to the inquiry from federal ­depart­ments, state governments, health, social and community ­organisations, companies, industry groups and individuals.

Advocates also say the pandemic exposed insufficient planning by state and territory governments as well as a lack of preparedness by residential and homecare providers who “didn’t seem to have pandemic or disaster recovery plans in their risk management frameworks”.

Peak body the Aged and Community Care Providers Association hit out at delays in vaccine deployment and confusion from differing advice between each level of government for both residents and staff.

It called for a national agreement between commonwealth and state governments to be developed in consultation with the aged-care sector to help support older Australians in pandemics.

In a submission to the federal government, the peak body said the reimbursement of Covid expenses through grants had proven “problematic with significant administrative costs incurred for both providers and the commonwealth government, combined with lengthy delays in disbursing much-needed funds”.

Anthony Albanese came under fire last year after announcing a Covid-19 inquiry into the commonwealth pandemic response, which gave states and territories a free pass for lockdowns and restrictions that crippled the economy and pushed health systems to the brink.

The independent panel overseeing the 12-month inquiry includes retired public service boss Robyn Kruk, epidemiologist Catherine Bennett and economist Angela Jackson, a former deputy chief of staff to Labor Fin­ance Minister Lindsay Tanner, posted tweets in 2020-21 endorsing lockdowns.