The Corangamite Aged Care forum held in Ocean Grove on Saturday (7 May) heard emotional stories from local residents about a broken aged care system.
A system that is failing those who are in its care, and failing its dedicated and underpaid aged care workers.
For a decade, the Liberal Federal Government have done nothing but make the aged care crisis worse.
The view of those who attended the forum was clear – Scott Morrison cannot be trusted to fix the crisis that he created.
Local residents heard from Shadow Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Clare O’Neil MP, and local Member for Corangamite, Libby Coker MP, about Labor’s plan to fix the aged care system.
Labor has a clear plan to invest in the sector and address the issues neglected by Scott Morrison with:
- Registered nurses onsite 24/7 in residential care
- More carers with more time to care
- A pay rise for aged care workers
- Better food for residents
- Real accountability in the system and a cap on Home Care fees
The packed meeting also heard emotional stories from care recipients, family members, carers and nurses about their experiences with the aged care system.
These included shocking examples of neglect, inappropriate and substandard food, a lack of nurses and carers and a burnt out and exhausted workforce.
Quotes attributable to Clare O’Neil:
“Older Australians rightly expected that the Federal Government would support them in their frailer years. That’s what they deserve, that’s what they’ve earned, after a life contributing to their communities and to Australia.
“But the Morrison Government has consistently failed these Australians with the Royal Commission finding that the system was in crisis:
- Two thirds of elderly Australians in aged care are malnourished – literally staving under the care of their own government.
- There are endemic problems with incontinence and wound management.
- And we have an aged care system that is profoundly understaffed, meaning that aged care workers are being forced to make heartbreaking decisions every day about who the help and who has to wait.
“And throughout COVID-19, the Morrison Government has botched everything in aged care from vaccine rollouts, to infection control and even supplying enough PPE for staff.
“Only one political party at this election has a serious plan to fix aged care.
“If you want to fixed aged care, you need to vote Labor and you need to vote for Libby Coker in Corangamite.”
Quotes attributable to Libby Coker:
“I wasn’t the only one in the room tearing up at what we were hearing.
“We can’t let the appalling state of aged care in Australia go unaddressed for any longer. We need to take real action now.
“There are some excellent aged care homes in this region, but others that are not so good. Sadly, it’s the whole system that is broken, placing pressures on those needing care, their carers, their families and the providers.
“Only Labor has a plan to improve food in aged care, allow carers to spend more time on actual caring, require nurses to be on duty 24/7 and ensure taxpayer funds actually get used for care.”
Quotes attributable to Harley Walker personal carer at an Aged Care Facility in Geelong region:
“Unfortunately, if you are involved in any aspect of an Aged Care facility and its subsequent residential care, the shortcomings are clearly evident and there is no longer an option but to apply a systemic intervention immediately.
“I have often worked alone, with the occasional support of my colleagues where appropriate and am tasked to provide care for 15 residents at the same time, all of which display complex physical, emotional and cognitive conditions that obviously contribute to their overall health and well-being while residing in the facility.
“I can recall over a span of 4 days within the business week, I received 55 text messages with vacant shifts needing to be allocated to carers.
“I am only one person and I can only fill one shift at a time, and every time I see a new message I become emotional and my heart crumbles because I know there are residents who will go without. Where is the accountability?
“The quality of food is less than desirable and often features a majority of items that are processed, contain a high sugar content and are of no substance. Does this sound appetising? And unfortunately, I could go on. The reality is, this is our reality.
“Our senior persons deserve better.”
