A coroner has recommended that first-aid be compulsory for all personal care staff.
In a perfect world, every person would receive first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training so that every citizen can respond when someone becomes sick or injures themselves in an emergency situation.
At the very least, we would expect that those who work on the front line in our health services, such as in aged care, have the skills to come to someone’s aid in an emergency.
But the coronial inquiry into the tragic death of John Reimers revealed personal carers, which in 2016 made up 70 per cent of the aged care workforce, aren’t always trained in the basics of first-aid.
More specifically, the inquiry found that a personal care worker was left alone for around half an hour with Mr Reimers after he fell from his wheelchair and died.
It should be noted that many aged care operators do require staff to have first-aid and CPR qualifications, and require first-aid training to be updated every three years, and CPR to be updated annually.
But these requirements are recommended, not compulsory.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson wrote in her findings that the monitoring of Mr Reimers was left “to a person who had no training in the basic principles of first-aid, including, but not limited to, airway management”.
Ms Jamieson noted that workers in the disability sector are required to have a first aid level 2 certificate, but there is no such requirement for aged care staff.
“Both sectors provide care for a vulnerable cohort in our community who require variabel needs of support from carers but the requirement of qualifications for aged care staff are significantly less tringest than the requirements of disability workers,” she said.
In her recommendations, Ms Jamieson said it should be made compulsory for all personal care staff to have first-aid and CPR training.
“With the aim of promoting public health and safety, preventing like deaths and improving the delivery of care in residential aged care facilities, I recommend that State and Federal Governments create a legislative mandate requiring personal care assistants to hold a senior first-aid / CPR certificate before they can secure employment in the aged care sector,” she wrote.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Secretary, Annie Butler, told HelloCare first-aid is essential in emergency situations but that aged care providers have a responsibility to provide care that is “above and beyond” first-aid.
“First-aid training is primarily essential in providing basic first responder action in an emergency situation before medical care arrives,” she said.
“The duty of care for aged care providers is above and beyond basic first aid,” she said.
Ms Butler said the ANMF “does not disagree” with the coroner’s recommendation that all care staff have first-aid training, but she said it is also “essential” that a greater number of registered nurses are employed in aged care facilities.
“Registered nurses are educated and regulated to provide emergency care at the level required when looking after older people living in residential facilities,” Ms Butler said.
Ms Jamieson recommended the government “legislate minimum ratios of nursing staff to patients / residents of aged care facilities”.
She also recommended that national standards be developed to outline the skills mix and staffing levels required to manage the needs of residents and “prevent adverse outcomes”.
“The ANMF is supportive of the coroner’s recommendations for mandatory RN’s on site in every aged care facility and also for mandatory minimum numbers of nurse to resident ratios being crucial in aged care,” Ms Butler said.
It seems almost incomprehensible that the majority of the workforce caring for some of society’s most frail and vulnerable does not have first-aid training. Leaving it up to the provider to decide if staff have the qualification can mean it doesn’t happen. The government should step in and make it compulsory, as recommended by the coroner.
What do you think – should it be compulsory for all personal care staff to have first-aid training?
Regardless of competency Personal Carers have a duty of care to assist. The problem here is that there are no Registered Nurses. Casual staff may not even know the area or the people that they are looking after.
Carol, I feel everyone should know CPR and fFirst Aid regardless of where we work, most shopping centres have defibrillators now and everyone should know what to do.
It all makes sense that AINs have first aid training but the reality is very different. Can you imagine if one of the AINs did some damage to one of the elderly in their care? I don’t think it is safe to assume all AINs would be competent enough to handle a situation that could lead to more injury or even death . They could lose their livelihood I’f t is shown they caused more injury or death using first aid. No I don’t believe you should leave someone’s health and wellbeing in the hands of unregistered carers. It is not worth the possible negative outcomes! If you think it is important then you need to hire more ENs/RNs otherwise you will be creating yet another burden on low paid aged care staff. Enough is enough!! Get real!
I am stunned that PCA staff do not require first aid and CPA training. In an industry where you are dealing with elderly people prone to falls and various medical conditions how do these CPA staff handle or treat someone in an emergency state. My mother suffered severe injuries after an incident while in the hands of 2 PCA staff. Only 1 Div 1 was available at the time. I strongly believe that more qualified nursing staff should be employed based on patient ratio, once again providing proper nursing care to residents. Most people in aged care facilities are there because they need 24 hr care that hospitals and families cannot provide. You place your loved one in these facilities in the hope they will provide the care you cannot sustain yourself but sadly you learn this is not the case. PCA training needs to improve as does the provision of qualified nursing staff. The Aged Care Commissioner needs to get on board.
It is disgusting that personal carers do not have CPR or any 1st aid training. One as the feeling that the Aged person is not worthy of any quality training.
Personal Carers need more intense training than they have now, I would have thought First Aid would be part of their training. There also needs to be more fully trained Nursing Staff so that they are available to do more than sit in an office doing paperwork, and administering meds. There should also be ratios set for high care residents and low care residents.
Obviously some of you don’t work in aged care from the sounds of it. From my years of working in Aged Care there is no way I would want some of these AINs performing any kind of first aid on one of my relations. That is why we have emergency call buttons, so a “qualified” and registered nurse that is paid well will attend. Most Ains may make the person comfortable and stay until the RN attends but that can be risky if they have a head or neck injury etc.
I am stunned this is not mandatory and should be an obligatory requirement with Cert II/Cert III training in Aged Care.
It is, First Aid & CPR is definitely part of cert 3 aged care at Tafe.
I am a Community Personal Carer and it is mandatory to have First Aid and CPR to work in Community Care. I also worked for two years in an Aged Care Residential Facility but there was no requirement to have First Aid or CPR there. It should be mandatory to have both whether you work in Residential or Community