 Home Media Resources Care Complaints Top Concerns About the State of Aged Care - December 10 2004
Care Complaints Top Concerns About the State of Aged Care - December 10 2004
The Health Services Union today said new figures revealing almost 1,000 complaints had been made about aged care facilities in the last financial year were an indicator of the scale of the problems in the industry.
HSU national secretary Craig Thomson said the annual report of the Aged Care Commissioner for Complaints was further proof more needed to be done to improve care standards.
"This is really the tip of the iceberg. You have almost 1,000 complaints in the industry where there are less than 3,000 homes.
"It is also an industry in which many residents and staff are too scared to speak out.
"With almost 100 per cent occupancy residents and their families are worried about keeping their bed.
"With a majority of staff working part-time or casual they fear they will be punished and their working hours reduced if they speak out.
"The Commissioner for Complaints report (available at the website www.cfc.health.gov.au) shows Victoria has by far the highest number of complaints with 39 per cent of the total (382) followed by NSW with 22 per cent (223) and South Australia and Western Australia with 11 per cent (105).
"The highest number of complaints relate to health and personal care, followed by consultation and communication and then the physical environment.
"These figures confirm what the government's own research has shown that the quality of care is the number one problem in aged care facilities.
"Without any minimum levels of staffing, qualifications and training and with an accreditation system that fails to properly police the industry you have too many homes not coming up to standard.
"It is not good enough that the most vulnerable members in our community are not getting the proper attention they need because of understaffing and a lack of proper policing of the industry.
"Without minimum staffing levels, minimum training levels and rigorous scrutiny of aged care facilities these problems will only continue."
Contact Details
Health Services Union of Australia
Ph: 0439411774
hsu@hsu.net.au
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