ABC to host special aged care episode of Q&A 

 

The ABC will dedicate an entire episode of Q&A to the aged care sector this Monday night.

The ABC has been fundamental in lifting the lid on the problems plaguing in the sector. Their ‘Who cares?’ Four Corners report was pivotal in the government’s calling of a royal commission into the sector.

Since then, the ABC has continued to unveil instances of poor care, abuse, and weak regulation in the aged care sector.

A call to the public to share their experiences of aged care resulted in Australia’s largest crowdsourced investigation that is still ongoing.

On Monday 7 October, the ABC will air a special episode of Q&A about aged care.

The program will delve into the issues plaguing the system, and will most likely include quality of care, dementia management, abuse, the inspection system, staff ratios, aged care alternatives, and corporatisation of the system.

What is covered on the night will depend on questions from the audience. 

On the panel to respond will be:

  • Maggie Beer – a celebrity chef who is trying to improve the quality of food in nursing homes
  • Sean Rooney – CEO of Leading Age Services Australia, the peak body for all types of aged care in Australia
  • Sarah Holland-Batt – an academic and poet who told the royal commission her father was “sadistically” abused while living in residential aged care
  • Richard Colbeck – the newly appointed Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, who has previously been involved in the building construction side of aged care
  • Julie Collins – Labor’s Shadow Minister for Aged Care

The ABC is keen to see members of the HelloCare network in the audience. You can register to join the live audience here.

Alternatively, you can tune in to the ABC at 9.35pm on Monday 7 October to watch the show live. 

 

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  1. There seems to be something in the water at my Aged Care facility where so many foreign women are expecting little bubs. The only issue I have here is that there are really no “light duties” for these women. This has put so much stress on the AINs as they need to carry an extra burden of work. We have had one expectant young lady watch another prepare a full hoist for a resident only to have her husband (who is working with her) put in a complaint that this woman was acting against policy by as it looked by attempting to full hoist a resident. Please tell me how far do the rights of an expectant mum go when they cam sit idly by and watch another woman struggle in the work force before her eyes. Is this fare to other workers? They don’t add more staff that is the reality. Even when they are 4 weeks gestation these women use their pregnancy as an excuse not to do anything!! It means we are short staffed. They push staff around to different wards to accommodate so many of the expectant mums. Staff have seen so much bias and unfair workloads placed apon them due to this tsunami of women who show no compassion or consideration for their work colleagues. Management need to hire a better mix of different ages so this will not have a negative impact on others.

  2. I have seen this happen in a hospital ward specially created for short stay dementia patients. I could not believe that this pregnant woman just stood idly looking whilst an older nurse managed the needs of a patient and who was sorely in need of assistance. As a non staff member, I was not permitted to assist. I confronted the pregnant “nurse” and told her to (a) either call for assistance or (b) help her. She replied ” I will not help when I am pregnant ( only a few months). I am only here for the money which I send back home to India”. I said, “Then why are you here because morally you have no right to come to work when you have no intention of doing any”. She just shrugged and walked away because clearly she could not have cared less. So I could not agree more with what has been posted above. I was absolutely disgusted and felt very sorry for the other nurse who was rushed off her feet and double the age of the the pregnant nurse.

  3. Could someone please tell me what the rights of a pregnant woman is in aged care where staff are at a minimum and the workload heavy. If a pregnant woman is working night shift and we have the bare minimum of staff on should staff be moved around off of their floors to accommodate these women when there really isn’t ‘light’s duties? She has already swapped people around and she is only about 7 weeks pregnant. We are concerned on Night Duty that when she gets to 5 or more months pregnant she will not be able to do the double assists. Doesn’t she need a doctor’s certificate to prove that she cannot work unless there are light duties? There are no light duties even on Dementia. What rights do the workers have when they have to work twice as hard to carry these women? My oldest of 4 is 23 and I left my catering job for maternity leave before I became a burden on my work colleagues but these ‘new bread’ of women think they can sit back and do absolutely nothing if they want. The staff complain to each other as they cannot seem to be prejudiced or they may be up for bullying which does not happen. It is a real problem.

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