 Home Media Resources Report Confirms Aged Care Residents and Staff Suffering - April 2 2004
Report Confirms Aged Care Residents and Staff Suffering - April 2 2004
The Health Services Union has called for immediate action over the findings of a new report which confirms the care delivered to the elderly in aged care facilities is being seriously affected by understaffing.
The Care of Older Australians report, prepared for the Federal Government, reveals the extent of the crisis of care in the industry due to an underpaid and overworked workforce.
Its findings include:
- Only 13 per cent of nurses and 19 per cent of staff overall say they have enough time to properly care for residents;
- Forty percent of nurses and 25 per cent of allied health workers spend less than one third of their time providing direct care;
- Almost half of all staff are being pressured to work harder in their jobs;
- Almost two thirds of personal carers and allied health workers earn less than $500 a week and a quarter of the workforce expect to leave aged care in the next three years;
- Over 60 per cent of personal carers are dissatisfied with the pay they receive.
HSU national secretary Craig Thomson said the report, which is the first official look at the aged care workforce, confirmed staff and elderly Australians were being let down by a system where there is no minimum number of staff that can be employed on any shift.
"There is clear evidence that if residents do not get enough care from staff that their health and safety is adversely affected," Mr Thomson said.
"The staff are skilled, committed and passionate about doing the best job they can but it is a disgrace that less than one in five have enough time to deliver proper care.
"The Aged Care Minister Julie Bishop must explain how she will address this problem.
"More funding for the industry will be useless unless there can be some guarantees it will go to increasing staff not into the pockets of providers looking to make money in the industry.
"The minister is pretending everything is rosy in the industry just like another Bishop who used to be the minister."
For further comment contact Craig Thomson on 0419 498691
Contact Details
Health Services Union of Australia
Ph: 0393413330
hsu@hsu.net.au
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