The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has launched its new national campaign aimed at ensuring aged care is a priority in the upcoming 2021 Budget and that the Morrison Government introduces urgently-needed laws that mandate safe, staff ratios in every nursing home, 24/7.
The ‘It’s Not Too Much’ campaign features a series of radio and TV commercials and website, asking Australians to help influence the Morrison Government to legislate staff ratios, to stop the suffering and neglect of elderly nursing home residents.
Mobile billboards will also circulate across the electorates of five of our key politicians: Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, the Health and Aged Care Minister Greg Hunt, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
The campaign adds to a strategy to target politicians in marginal seats, including the Aged Care Minister, by the Australian Aged Care Collaboration – an alliance between ACSA, LASA and the largest faith-based aged care providers.
The campaign by the Australian Aged Care Collaboration targets 15 marginal seats within the top 30 electorates that have the highest percentage of constituents aged over 55. (see below)
Acting ANMF Federal Secretary, Lori-Anne Sharp, said today: “Our aged care residents and those who care for them need the Morrison Government to act. Surely, it’s not too much to ask that residents receive basic care they need and deserve, in their later years of life. But, as the Royal Commission found, older Australians living in nursing homes are suffering because of dangerously low staffing levels in many private aged care homes. And that must change.”
The ANMF’s recommendations for immediate action are:
- Mandate staffing ratios in nursing homes;
- Legislated requirements for clinical governance, leadership and expertise in aged care;
- Legislated transparency and accountability for taxpayer funding for aged care providers;
- Guaranteeing workforce capacity and capability;
- Registration for unregulated aged care workers.
“Every day the Morrison Government delays taking action to address chronic understaffing in nursing homes, is another day that residents will continue to suffer. And another day that staff, (majority of whom are women) continue to be overworked and undervalued. We must address this crisis immediately and mandate safe staffing ratios,” Ms Sharp added.
“When additional funding is allocated to aged care in the 2021 Budget in response to the Royal Commission recommendations, the Morrison Government must ensure that for-profit providers are using additional taxpayer funds for its intended purposes – providing additional staff with the right skills mix so that they can deliver the care that elderly residents deserve.”
The campaign is supported by a website that provides an option for the community to donate time to help the effort by way of sharing on social media (2 minutes) and/or send a message to the politicians (5 minutes) or to do both (7 minutes). A live feed shows the date, #minutes and name of the person/s donating. At the time of writing it looked as if 151 people had donated – check it out here – www.itsnottoomuch.com
The federal liberal Government has failed its duty of care to provide adequate and sustainable funding for the provision of quality care.
This deplorable situation was brought about by this government drastically cutting funding. They know what they have done. The Royal Commission only confirmed the previous twenty reports.
“take away the funding and things are forced to fail”. Well done Libs.
Aged care facilities need more carers. There should be at least one career for every three residents. Please treat the elderly with more respect.
The problem is with the organlsational management of age care who think if you can get one carer to do the work of two and pay one wage is financially better for them. Also aged care is so regulated that the paper work has become more important than the person who the paper work is about. How do you care for people with inadequate staffing which the physical care takes most of your time then find time to document about the care. Then the commission comes and inspects you and gives you an unmet for inadequate documentation. You can’t win it’s become unrealistic to be a nurse in age care. And carers need to be registered.