Call to stop Covid iso in aged care

THE true horror of life inside some aged care homes during Covid has been revealed, with residents forced to use incontinence pads due to staff shortages and others made to self-isolate for seven days after going out to lunch.

Families and advocates are calling for the human rights of aged care residents to be properly respected, including the right to have visitors, even if there is a Covid outbreak in their facility.

In an insight into the dire state of some aged care homes, one carer revealed residents were given incontinence pads, even when they were not incontinent, because staff did not have time to take them to the toilet.

A 58-year-old aged care worker said carers tried their best to attend to residents when they called but, due to the workforce crisis, were not always able.

She said incontinence pads were a precaution, but some residents had become reliant on them, while others used them so as not to “bother staff” who were stretched.

“They’re being forced to be incontinent through no fault of their own or ours,” she said.

She said those using them had an increased risk of urinary tract infections, and she feared the number of residents falling while trying to get to the toilet by themselves had skyrocketed during the pandemic.

The latest quarterly figures reveal that between October and December last year there were 58,956 falls, with 3987 causing major injuries.

There are also growing calls to scrap visitor restrictions. The revised industry code states residents should have at least one visitor, even during lockdowns.

But with an expected rise in Covid and flu cases in winter, Older Persons Advocacy

Network is calling for visitor rights to be enshrined in law.

“Some residential aged care facilities are asking residents to isolate themselves if they leave the facility,” OPAN chief Craig Gear said.

For Bruno Fosci, it means his 100th birthday plans remain uncertain.

Daughter Lina Calleja said if the family took him out to lunch, staff would want him to isolate for seven days in his room when he returned.

“This will kill him, not being able to have family or visitors just because we celebrated his 100th birthday,” Ms Calleja said.

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck’s spokesman said the government – if re-elected – would back the move to legislate visitation rights.

A spokesman for Opposition spokeswoman Clare O’Neil said older residents would not be subjected to “long periods of isolation” under a Labor government.