Jul 17, 2020

Essendon facility with largest COVID-19 outbreak not audited in three years

The Morrison Government must urgently assure all Australians that residential aged care facilities are safe and prepared for COVID-19.

It is deeply concerning a facility in Essendon with the largest outbreak of COVID-19 in aged care has not been audited by the Morrison Government’s aged care regulator in more than three years.

This was despite the provider being hauled before the Aged Care Royal Commission in October last year after another of its Melbourne facilities was sanctioned by the regulator.

The evidence presented at the Royal Commission was damning. Why didn’t the Morrison Government’s aged care regulator look at this provider’s other facilities?

This concerning lapse must force the Morrison Government to act: older Australians in aged care and their loved ones deserve this.

The Morrison Government’s regulator must immediately assure residents at the facility in Essendon and their loved ones that this facility is safe.

The Liberal Government promised that audits and reviews of aged care facilities would be ‘relentless’ but this facility appears to have fallen through the cracks.

We have seen the devastating impact of COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care in Australia and across the globe.

There must also be clear communication with the residents and their families at any facility with an outbreak of COVID-19.

Australia’s aged care system was broken before the COVID-19 pandemic and this is only putting extra stress on the system.

All Australians must be assured we have the very best infection control practises in aged care.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

PM says healthcare worker lied to contact tracers

The prime minister has accused a healthcare worker of being untruthful about their movements after they tested positive for COVID-19. Mr Morrison told Tasmania’s Triple M radio, “We’ve had someone… not tell the truth to the contact tracers about where they’d been and who they’d been with and that means that a lot of people... Read More

Should staff be allowed to sleep on night duty for their health and safety?

Night shift is a common part of many aged care worker’s lives. Some enjoy it and come to prefer to work at night, while others never get used to the disruption night shift causes to the physical, emotional and social fabric of their lives.  There’s a huge amount of interest – both anecdotally as well... Read More

Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin D

According to an Oxford Academic approximately “1 billion people have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency worldwide and it is particularly prevalent among elderly people.” This deficiency can have a tremendous impact on this population. As a caregiver, it’s important to know the possible consequences and what you can do to help ensure your loved one... Read More
Advertisement