McBride voices aged care concerns

PHARMACIST-TURNED-FEDERAL MP, Emma McBride, is calling on the Federal Government to implement significant reforms in the aged care sector to boost quality use of medicines.

Speaking in the House of Representatives yesterday, McBride said the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety had been inadequate, including its $3.2 billion Budget pledge.

“They’ve dodged, delayed or outright rejected key recommendations,” she said.

“Nothing will change without reforms to the workforce... there was nothing to improve wages [in the Budget] for overstretched, undervalued workers.

“The Government is failing to collaborate with employee organisations, despite the Royal Commission’s recommendation to do so.

“At the same time, they’re gifting $3.2 billion to providers, with no conditions to make sure this goes to actual better care or better food, not just improving their bottom line.”

McBride said that while Labor supported the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No 1) Bill 2021, she wanted to “further strengthen legislation on the use of restrictive practices, including chemical restraint”.

“Some of the most alarming evidence to the Royal Commission related to the widespread sedation or chemical restraint of aged-care residents, often with dementia,” she said.

“Evidence from Associate Professor Juanita Breen from Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre at the University of Tasmania, in a study of 11,500 residents in 139 agedcare homes, found that 22% of aged-care residents were taking antipsychotics, 41% were taking antidepressants and 22% were taking benzodiazepines on a regular basis, largely daily.

“As a pharmacist who worked in mental health and psychogeriatrics, and having lost my father to younger-onset Alzheimer’s dementia, this is of concern to me and to countless individuals and families across Australia.

“The Royal Commission’s interim report titled Neglect found that the use of antipsychotics was not clearly justified in 90% of cases in which they were prescribed and that polypharmacy and chemical restraint have been the norm.

“As the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Medicine safety: aged care report found, more than 95% of aged-care residents had at least one problem with their medicines, and most had three, including dangerous drug interactions and overdosing; 50% of people with dementia were taking medicines with anticholinergic properties, which can worsen symptoms such as confusion; and one-fifth were on antipsychotics, with more than half using the medicine for too long.”