The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) is calling on its members and supporters to have their say on aged care – declaring it’s time to demand dignity for older Australians.
As the Federal Senate prepares to hold a public Inquiry into the future of Australia’s aged care workforce, the ANMF’s Acting Federal Secretary Annie Butler is urging people who have “an experience, a concern or an issue about aged care, to come forward and tell their story”.
“We can no longer ignore the plight of older, vulnerable Australians living in nursing homes,” Ms Butler said.
“We are encouraging our members who work in aged care, the families of the elderly nursing home residents they care for and all of our supporters to let the Senate Inquiry know what needs to be done to fix aged care.
“It’s time that we demand dignity for older Australians.
“At a time when there is a current shortage of 20,000 aged care nurses, this Inquiry will be crucial in assessing how we are to recruit and retain a sustainable workforce now and into the future for the sake of the people they care for.
“The ANMF will be telling the Inquiry that we support the urgent need for a Registered Nurse (RN) to be on-site at all stand-alone aged facilities 24/7, as was the recent recommendation of a NSW Upper House Inquiry and that we will continue to campaign for the delivery of quality care in nursing homes across the country.
“This can only be achieved through mandated levels of staffing and education for nursing and care staff and having the right skill mix to meet the complex demands of caring for frail, vulnerable patients, particularly those suffering Dementia.”
To make a Submission, go to:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/OnlineSubmission
Submissions close on March 4.
