Aug 26, 2020

Can you help? Government offering aged care staff $5000 bonuses to assist COVID impacted facilities

The Commonwealth Department of Health has partnered with the aged care industry to develop the National Aged Care Emergency Response (NACER) Program.

The initiative mobilises aged care staff from areas across Australia not experiencing community transmission, to assist in caring for people in aged care facilities impacted by COVID-19. While the initial focus is on supporting Victoria, it is a national program that can be expanded where and when it is needed.

NACER is seeking experienced Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, Personal Care Workers and Cleaners who are currently working in aged care to provide surge workforce support. An attractive remuneration and support package is on offer including a $5,000 bonus for successful completion of a rotation.

Ideally teams of six will be coordinated by the aged care provider and sent on placement for four weeks, followed by two weeks of quarantine. Providers will need to endorse staff as having the right character, skills and experience, and the ability to work under pressure and in confronting environments. Providers should carefully consider their own operational needs before agreeing to release staff – they will still be required to provide adequate staffing levels across all their sites to meet residents’ needs.

Further information on the NACER Program is available on the department’s website.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

The government has thrown another $171 million at the problem. But a real plan for aged care has been missing all along

As deaths in aged care continue to rise, the community may find the Morrison government’s announcement of an additional A$171.5 million to boost its response to COVID-19 in residential aged care reassuring. The package was agreed by all states and territories at Friday’s National Cabinet meeting, and brings the total Commonwealth funding for aged-care support during the pandemic to more than A$1 billion. Read More

How Can Technology Help the Elderly Stay Mentally and Physically Active?

It’s easy to assume that the elderly and technology just don’t go together. However, that certainly isn’t the case anymore. An increasing number of elderly people are turning to technology to help them stay active, both in mind and body. Take a look below at 6 activities that the elderly are increasingly enjoying thanks to... Read More

Inquiry into 92-year-old woman left outside emergency department in freezing cold

The South Australian government has released a report acknowledging the hospital made “insufficient attempts” after the elderly woman and others were left waiting outside the over-capacity emergency department for nearly two hours. Read More
Advertisement