Home not for mum, says carer
A TASMANIAN carer has told the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety they would not let their loved one enter a home after what they had seen in the industry.
The commission has received 6397 submissions to date and the delivery of substandard and unsafe services was at the heart of most, it says.
It will conduct hearings in Hobart today.
The Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation’s Tasmanian Branch said the evidence and harrowing stories likely to be heard during the Hobart hearings would come as no surprise to those working in the sector. It also renewed its calls for Tasmanian aged care providers to mandate minimum staffing ratios.
“The issues are widespread and long standing, and providers have both the financial and operational means to address these now,” Secretary Emily Shepherd said.
In its submission, Carers Tasmania raised concerns about staff to patient ratios, the screening of workers, the number of doctor visits to homes and a culture which failed to treat residents with respect.
“What my family has seen in this industry will ensure our mother will not go into a nursing home,” one participant said.