Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Hansard source

For decades in my past life as a radio and television commentator, I used the same comment over and over when talking about the latest scandal involving nursing homes or retirement villages, and, tragically, there were lots of them. I could even go back to that scandal where old people in Melbourne were being given kerosene baths. I would say: 'The only difference between old people and us is that they got there first.' Some of the people most guilty of forgetting that fact were politicians, and, sadly, that still seems to apply today, 30 years later. I was going to say, 'You forget that we will get there too one day,' but I guess at my age I already qualify. But I have not forgotten the plight of elderly Australians, which is why I put forward the Aged Care Amendment (Ratio of Skilled Staff to Care Recipients) Bill 2017 to try to improve the lot of people, often defenceless people—people being treated abominably, being treated inhumanely, being treated like nuisances in our nursing homes or being treated purely as cash cows.

I can anticipate the reaction, so I will acknowledge that, if you can afford it, there are some terrific establishments in this country. Ironically, some of the best are the ones run by Wintringham in Melbourne and country Victoria. They will also soon be in Tasmania. Wintringham is there for formerly homeless people over 50. They have fantastic quality facilities. I visited one in Port Melbourne several weeks ago. But there are some real shockers. As Rob Harris reported in the Herald Sun this week:

Nineteen Victorian nursing homes failed to meet some of the most basic standards of care in the past year—including one eastern suburbs facility which was forced to close.

A damning report has revealed an emerging crisis in the aged care sector, showing almost 600 facilities across the country did not meet industry regulations in the past five years.

An audit summary, seen by the Herald Sun, has named and shamed the homes for the first time—detailing breaches across the board …

For example:

Marlborough Gardens Hostel, in Heathmont, was forced to shut its door in July after meeting just 27 of the 44 accreditation standards following an on-the-spot audit from government regulator, the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency.

That is only 27 out of 44. Remember, there have been allegations that nursing homes have, on occasion, been given prior warning that an 'instant inspection' was coming their way. The article continues:

Among its many failures, the hostel operated by Noble Care Pty Ltd failed to have an effective infection control program and had not minimised fire or security risks.

The audit found there was insufficient staff—

This is a big point—

at the 35-bed home to meet all of the needs of care recipients.

Alarmingly, it found the home's medication system did not consistently ensure residents' treatment were managed safely and that staff did not always follow prescribed orders.

'Care recipients are not always receiving medication based on instructions by a medical officer. Medication was not always packed or dispensed according to relevant legislation,' the report found.

The agency said its decision to revoke Marlborough Gardens Hostel's aged care accreditation 'reflects the seriousness of recent failures to meet the Accreditation Standards'.

As I said, 19 Victorian establishments failed to reach accreditation standards, and, boy, it makes me tempted to do a 'shame, shame, shame'. Don't forget that this comes after a flu outbreak in Victoria that killed seven people aged between 70 and 94 in Wangaratta last month. That belatedly forced federal government intervention, to make flu shots compulsory for all staff. You'd have thought that that was a given, but it was too late for those flu victims and, also, their families at Wangaratta. The federal Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt, will soon get an urgent report into fixing the aged-care system which was commissioned after frightening details came to light of the treatment of residents at the Oakden nursing home in Adelaide. I know that the Nick Xenophon Team's been right onto that one.

Allanvale Private Nursing Home in Altona Meadows failed to meet five crucial standards, including clinical care, medication management and skincare. The Boort District Health Low Care, a 30-bed facility in north-west Victoria, also failed basic standards that demand residents receive 'adequate nourishment and hydration'. That's bureaucratic speak for food and water, for God's sake! Both homes were given some months to fix their breaches and were later reaccredited by the agency.

Too many times in too many places, profit is the name of the game. Some companies running these places know that you can keep that profit margin up by cutting costs, cutting staff numbers and playing games with the numbers so that it looks like there are more staff physically dealing with the wants and needs of the residents than there actually are. You've got the gardener, the accountant and the kitchen staff in the so-called 'care army' for the residents. It's not true. They're also shaving dollars off the daily food budget. That goes on all over the country.

I know, from experience, that I ate a hundred times better in jail at HM Prison Langi Kal Kal several years ago than most pensioners do whether they're at home, in a nursing home or a retirement village. When it comes to quotas and ratios—this is what this bill's all about—I have been receiving damning emails from aged-care workers saying things like this:

We are too scared to speak out about ratios, about what we see and what we know. We all received an email from head office recently instructing us that if we receive any inquiries from the media we are not to answer any questions. We were told to say: 'I am unable to answer your questions. You will need to ring our head office in Melbourne'. How many other nursing homes around the state have got this warning? That is why carers are too scared to speak up for fear of losing our jobs that pay our bills. And scared of the legal ramifications.

I want to pass on the closing words of a carer who detailed an exhausting day in her life, made even worse by an outbreak of gastro in her unit. She said:

I love the residents I love most of my work mates but I am exhausted. I give my hand over to the medication carer. Now this story was on a good day! You show up to work not knowing what is going to happen. There are falls, deaths, sickness, residents who are having an off/bad day. I have missed out on lunch … because of resident's collapsing and the 3 carers who are meant to be attending to it are dealing with another problem. (Residents pay a lot of money to be in a nursing home) I am writing this story about personal care workers who look after the elderly in nursing homes because in the media there has been a lot of bad press against us carers. Yes there will be those who are at fault and should not be in the industry but there are those who truly do care and do their best to care for the residents. The world neglect has been used. Neglect is a negative word that makes us look like we—

don't—

care and we're inhumane. The fact is we do care, we go home crying and frustrated that a resident was left to sit in—

his or her—

urine because we couldn't get to them.

WE NEED MORE PCW's NOW. It's not just the RESIDENTS WHO ARE SUFFERING, but THE STAFF as like I said at the beginning of this letter, staff are going home EMOTIONALLY, MENTALLY & PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED and that's not just the PCW's but the RN, Admin, cleaning & Kitchen staff. For the health and wellbeing of not only the staff but the residents as well, PLEASE reconsider the resident/staff ratios and act accordingly, if not for the staff but for the RESIDENTS. THIS IS THEIR HOME. They are not just paying for their meals and a room, they are paying to BE CARED FOR and they are NOT receiving the care they deserve.

That is true: many are not receiving the care that they deserve. That is a disgrace in 2017.

One of the problems is that the Aged Care Act 1997 does not demand a minimum staffing standard for aged-care residential facilities that are funded by the federal government. It does not specify what constitutes appropriately skilled and qualified staff for the purpose of providing care. I know that New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria do prescribe staffing requirements for some residential aged-care facilities, but all elderly Australians deserve the best level of care when they can no longer live independently and have to rely on other people for their health, wellbeing and protection. It doesn't surprise me—in fact, it's common sense—that international research shows that higher registered nurse staffing levels, higher total staffing levels and a higher skills ratio mix of registered nurses to other nursing staff will lead to better quality care. It's bleeding obvious.

Finally, keep in mind what a lot of politicians seem to ignore or conveniently forget—these people, these elderly Aussies, have contributed valiantly to our society throughout their lives. They have helped make Australia the great country it is today. They have worked. They have paid taxes for decades. They have raised their families. Some have been to war. Many live with the scars of those wars. Some of their relatives made the ultimate sacrifice and paid with their lives. But, unfortunately, many of these Australians who have given so much to society are highly vulnerable. I believe they are not guaranteed these days the standard of care that they deserve within our aged-care facilities as many of them operate in the way they operate today.

I will finish up by saying just remember what I said at the start: the only difference between old people and us is that they got there first. For years on radio and television, I used to ask the question: who is looking after the children? Sadly, these days, I have to amend that and ask you: who is looking after the elderly?