Media Alert: 11 August 2010

Nurses seek aged care election pledge from major parties

Press Conference:
Who: Lee Thomas, Federal Secretary, Australian Nursing Federation
Where: Mercy Place Aged Care, 1 William Road, Parkville (Mel ref: 29 B10).
When: Wednesday 11 August, 9.30am.

Nurses calling on the major political parties to close the wages gap in aged care will gather outside the Grand Plan for Aged Care debate in Melbourne on Wednesday (11 August).

Australian Nursing Federation federal secretary Lee Thomas said the election campaign had focussed on bricks and mortar and opening more aged care beds, not on the nurses and assistants in nursing who actually deliver care for residents in aged care.

“The amount of time each resident receives help in aged care has fallen by 20% in the last four years from an average of three hours and fourteen minutes to two hours and thirty six minutes for each resident per day,” Ms Thomas said.

“We are reaching the point where residents will not be able to get out of bed because no-one will have the time to help them. There can be no plan in aged care without a focus on the quality of care for each and every resident, including minimum nursing hours and skills mix.”

The ANF has presented a detailed submission to the Productivity Commission’s Review of Aged Care, initiated by the Labor Government, calling for a major funding overhaul in Australian aged care.

“The ANF believes that to ensure each and every resident is adequately cared for, there needs to be a guarantee of at least four and half hours of nursing care per resident per day,” Ms Thomas said. “Australia’s aged care system is straining under the weight of an increase in residents with staff numbers not keeping pace. We need more qualified nurses and assistants in nursing to ensure that residents get the care they deserve.

“It is critical that Labor, the Greens and the Coalition commit to the introduction of minimum staffing ratios and full funding to help bridge the wages gap.”

A summary of the Federation’s submission is available on request.

Media Contacts
Eleni Hale, Media Advisor, 0458 892 999

 

The ANF, with 175,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia