Richard Colbeck’s cricket visits slammed by families of aged care residents
Families of aged care residents have slammed the Minister in charge for a cricket trip while claiming many homes used the pandemic to hide systemic failures.
National
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Traumatised families who “cry every day” unable to visit loved ones in aged care homes for months due to Covid outbreaks are furious the Minister responsible attended the cricket instead of fronting a hearing on the pandemic response.
Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck, who is also Sports Minister, has been slammed for spending three days at the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart earlier this month at the same time he declined to appear before a Senate Committee hearing on the impact of Omicron on nursing homes.
Secular chaplain Kathie Melocco, whose 87-year-old mother was locked down in aged care, said she had been inundated with calls from distraught families, calling Mr Colbeck’s cricket attendance “disgrace”.
Ms Melocco said she was watching her mum “fade before my eyes” after years of the pandemic, and called for families to be urgently authorised to provide care to ease the burden.
“The staff are exhausted, it’s basic care needs like toileting or having a shower that aren’t happening,” she said.
Sydney woman Sarah Bowing, who lost a significant amount of her elderly mother’s final years due to Covid visitor bans, said she believed many homes used the pandemic as an “excuse” to hide systemic failures.
“Mr Colbeck could have given one of those days he was at the cricket and I could have shown him an example of the aged care sector failing to provide basic human rights for him to finally fix,” she said.
Ms Bowing said unless people realised the conditions in many aged care homes and refused to accept them, elderly Australians would continue to suffer.
On Thursday 83-year-old Sydney man Trevar told Sydney radio station 2GB he was “appalled” Mr Colbeck thought he could “swan off to the cricket,” while people like him were unable to visit family.
Trevar said his wife of 40-years, Beverley, was “trapped” in her room in an aged care home after contracting Covid.
“I cry every day,” he said.
“I miss her so much.”
A spokesman for Mr Colbeck said his commitment to the aged care sector had “never been greater” and he had remained in constant contact with his department regarding the Covid-19 situation.
“The decision for Minister Colbeck to attend the Ashes Test in Hobart was made as part of his commitments as Minister for Sport and Senator for Tasmania,” he said.
Labor’s aged care services spokeswoman Clare O’Neil said at the time Mr Colbeck was “too busy going to the cricket” to front the Senate Committee, about 40 per cent of nursing homes in the country were in lockdown due to Covid-19.
“Yes, he‘s got his sports portfolio and that’s important, but three days at the cricket during this critical moment for this sector and I just almost can’t believe this is true,” she said.
Originally published as Richard Colbeck’s cricket visits slammed by families of aged care residents
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