5 August 2021
I want to thank everyone in aged care for your tireless commitment to ensuring the safety, comfort, health and wellbeing of vulnerable older Australians.
This Saturday, August 7, we acknowledge Aged Care Employee Day and recognise everyone involved in caring for the 1.3 million older Australians receiving home care or residential care services.
On this day, as we have for over a decade, we will continue to campaign vigorously for higher wages and safe working conditions which benefit both aged care workers and the people they care for.
Aged care is one of the most critical areas of work in an increasingly ageing society.
Older people deserve the best care possible as they need it, and aged care workers deserve wages and conditions which reflect the very real significance of their vital contribution to society.
The most obvious way for the Government to show its appreciation for aged care employees is to increase the wages of one of the most poorly paid professions in the country and introduce mandatory safe staffing ratios.
We, alongside the Federal ANMF and other unions, have brought cases in the Fair Work Commission (FWC), which sets industries’ minimum pay rates, demanding a 25 per cent pay rise for aged care workers.
The Morrison Federal Government needs to make funding available to support these wage increases and stop the exodus of workers from aged care to better paid jobs at other health care sites. They also need to step up and legislate to fully implement the Royal Commission’s recommendations for extra staffing.
The lack of resources and inadequate staffing has created a situation where aged care workers have been reduced to tears and frustrated or angered, at being unable to provide the level and quality of care needed, through no fault of their own.
I have spoken to many members working in aged care; I see how dedicated they are to provide care with compassion and the skills required.
However, there are simply not enough staff to provide quality care. It is far too common to have just one Registered Nurse for more than 100 residents. It is not acceptable for the residents or the staff who are suffering under the ever-growing pressure.
To quote Counsel Assisting the Inquiry Peter Rozen QC in his address to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety: “The vast majority of the aged care workforce are women and the low pay they receive, we submit, is nothing less than the aged care system exploiting the goodness of their hearts.
“Aged care workers don’t need to be told they’re heroes. What they need is a practical recognition of the value of their work. They need better wages and conditions .’’
Earlier this year, we witnessed a watershed moment for the aged care industry when the Royal Commission delivered its 148 recommendations to address Australia’s “shocking tale of neglect”.
The report acknowledged that staffing ratios should be introduced to ensure that there are sufficient nursing and other care staff present at all times in residential aged care.
The Federal Government’s response was a $17.7 billion aged care investment over 5 years in the May Budget. Whilst this sounds like a massive new investment it won’t be anywhere near enough to provide safe, quality care for vulnerable aged care residents and home care clients.
To put that figure in perspective, the Royal Commission is recommending measures that will cost closer to $40 -$50 billion in the next 5 years. At the very least that is more than double what the Government is currently committed to.
To drive much-needed change, the ANMF (SA Branch) is playing an active role in a national campaign leading the charge for significant and systemic change in aged care across five key areas:
- Mandated staffing ratios - minimum staffing levels and skills mix
- Legislated requirements for clinical governance, leadership, and expertise
- Legislated transparency and accountability measures
- Guaranteeing workforce capacity and capability
- Registration for unregulated care workers
Read more about these five key actions here.
If you haven’t already, I urge you to take a moment to please join the ANMF’s It’s Not Too Much To Ask aged care campaign.
See how you can get involved
I would again like to give my heartfelt thanks to all those working in aged care.
You have my utmost respect and the support of the wider ANMF membership and the community behind you.
Yours sincerely,
Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM
ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary