Bad food tops care reports

BAD food is the top complaint of 15,000 nursing home residents, in the biggest survey of aged care by Federal Government inspectors.

News Corp can reveal that 16 per cent of aged care residents – or one in six – like the food some or none of the time.

Of elderly residents, 30 per cent say staff do not always meet their healthcare needs, and 20 per cent of residents do not always feel safe.

More than a quarter of residents said staff did not always treat them with respect.

Federal Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt said nursing homes “need to work harder to ensure that all Australians receiving aged care feel safe at all times’’.

For the first time, government inspectors surveyed 15,000 residents during quality checks on nursing homes during 2017/18.

About 30 residents confided that they “never feel safe’’.

News Corp revealed in February that nursing homes spend an average of $6 per person per day to feed residents – less than what is spent on prisoners.

More inspectors will swoop on homes unannounced next year, as the Morrison Government trebles the number of unannounced audits.

Previously, homes were given several months’ notice.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ordered a Royal Commission into aged care abuse, to report its initial findings by October. It will also merge the existing Aged Care Complaints Commission with the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency on January 1, to form a new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

But the boss of the new agency, Janet Anderson, yesterday denied there was a widespread problem.