Royal Commission comes to Hobart to examine local aged care

Three Tasmanian aged care homes will go under the microscope as the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety hears evidence in Hobart today.

A TASMANIAN carer has told the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety they would not let their loved one enter a home after what they had seen in the industry.

The commission has received 6397 submissions to date and the delivery of substandard and unsafe services was at the heart of most, it says.

It will conduct hearings in Hobart today.

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The Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation’s Tasmanian Branch said the evidence and harrowing stories likely to be heard during the Hobart hearings would come as no surprise to those working in the sector. It also renewed its calls for Tasmanian aged care providers to mandate minimum staffing ratios.

“The issues are widespread and long standing, and providers have both the financial and operational means to address these now,” Secretary Emily Shepherd said.

ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd.

“We call upon Tasmanian Federal politicians Richard Colbeck and Julie Collins to endorse legislated ratios prior to the final report of the ACRC to ensure residents in residential aged care need not suffer any longer.”

In its submission, Carers Tasmania raised concerns about staff to patient ratios, the screening of workers, the number of doctor visits to homes and a culture which failed to treat residents with respect.

“What my family has seen in this industry will ensure our mother will not go into a nursing home,” one participant said.

Carers Tasmania was asked to provide input into the term of reference for the inquiry.

It received over 50 replies from members in just two days.

“There was significant distress demonstrated in some of the comments,” the submission said.

Respondents expressed the need for aged care staff to be “engaged and empathetic” and said providing adequate renumeration and career advancement opportunities may help attract a higher calibre of worker.

“When I worked in aged care there was not enough time for personal care which resulted in bed sores and incontinence aids not being changed regularly,” a participant said.

Three Tasmanian aged care homes will be under the spotlight today: Southern Cross Care — particularly in regard to the Glenara Lakes Apartments and Yaraandoo Hostel in Somerset in Tasmania’s northwest — and Bupa Aged Care’s South Hobart facility.

It was announced in August that Bupa South Hobart was the worst performer in terms of meeting accreditation standards during the 2018-2019 financial year, meeting only 28 of 44 requirements.