Demand for aged care support for region

‘A SHOCKING TALE OF NEGLECT’…. Local Member for Shepparton Region, Suzanna Sheed has expressed concern over aged care service not meeting with public expectation. Photo: Kaitlyn Morse

Aged care has been under scrutiny of late.  At the top of the list is The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety being held in Sydney. An interim report published in October 2019 has found the aged care system fails to meet the needs of its older, vulnerable citizens. It does not deliver uniformly safe and quality care, is unkind and uncaring towards older people and, in too many instances, it neglects them.

In line with that is the recent spate of residents of these establishments across the state succumbing to COVID-19 with dire consequences.

The Member for the Shepparton District, Suzanna Sheed has demanded the Federal Government audit aged care facilities in her electorate and establish the levels of preparedness in the event of a coronavirus outbreak.

“I’ve consulted widely with our aged care sector and I am not at all happy about what I’m hearing,” Ms Sheed said.

Many aged care facilities in the Shepparton region share staff and there exists little in the way of a reserve should a site’s workforce be required to isolate, according to Ms Sheed.

“We have more than 20 staff in isolation and any further losses in this skilled workforce will be felt across the region.”

“I have contacted the Federal Minister for Aged Care, Richard Colbeck and warned him in no uncertain terms of the perilous situation here in my electorate. I have asked that the minister audit our region as a matter of urgency and appoint a co-ordinator to oversee the task.”

Commissioner Richard Tracey AM, leading the Royal Commission was led to describe the aged care system as “a shocking tale of neglect”.

“The neglect that we have found in this Royal Commission, to date, is far from the best that can be done. Rather, it is a sad and shocking system that diminishes Australia as a nation,” Mr Tracey said.