AGED CARE RESIDENTS STILL BEING LET DOWN

THE fact some nursing homes continue to show great neglect in caring for our elderly 18 months after the Earle Haven tragedy is both a disgrace and a blight on society. It also proves the recommendations from countless hearings and inquiries is failing the ageing mums, dads and grandparents who have helped make this country what it is today.

Three investigations and millions of taxpayers’ dollars have been spent trying to expose the tragedy of the Earle Haven nursing home collapse, in which 69 vulnerable elderly were kicked out of home on the night of July 11, 2019.

Three people died in the following three months – one of whom had a fall the night of the evacuation – and longheld friendships were lost.

Union bosses of frontline nurses last year told a Gold Coast Bulletin investigation that severe cuts were still being made to staff and services at homes and a study conducted in March 2020 revealed 600 of 1000 facilities across Australia were bleeding money.

This is despite the federal government tipping $66 billion into the sector since 2014 and a $650,000 bailout in June to stop five Queensland nursing homes going bust.

Today, an investigation by News Corp reveals 26 Australian aged care homes are in the crosshairs of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Among those is Southport Lodge.

Most frontline workers in nursing homes are kind, caring people giving strangers the best possible ending to an honest, fruitful life. But they are increasing hamstrung by limited resources and difficult working conditions.

Parts of the sector are rotten and it is time to get to the core, cut the cancer and, finally, provide decency, transparency and respect to the thousands of families that have put faith in operators – and the system – to best care for loved ones in their twilight years.