Mar 05, 2018

It’s Time to “Speak Out, Speak Up” says Aged Care Advocacy Group

Bundaberg, Queensland has their fair share of controversies in terms of aged care. And not just for one facility.

Not long ago Blue Care’s Bundaberg facility was in trouble for after a spot inspection revealed 19 issues – including failing to respond to a resident’s cries for help and failing to feed or underfeeding residents.

And TriCare’s facility were accused of neglect and understaffing.

Because of this, Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia have moved an advocate to the area to support residents and their families who have issues with their providers.

CEO, Geoff Rowe advises the elderly and their families to “speak out, speak up” and lets them know that ADAA  are available to help.

“If they’ve got concerns around aged care there are a number of options for people to make contact with regards to those concerns,” he told News Mail.

 

The ADAA aim to speak and work on the behalf of the elderly. This is a positive move for the aged care sector as these advocates are looking to improve the care that residents receive. No one needs to settle for poor care and feeling helping to do anything about it.

“People can access us and I encourage people to do that,” he said.

“If their concerns are serious then we’ll help people to escalate them. As a starting point we’re more than happy to provide services,” he said.

“We’re absolutely an advocate for the elderly. It’s really important for people to understand that just because they’re in aged care doesn’t mean they don’t have rights.”

The issues seen in Bundaberg are no exclusive to them alone, residents all around Australia face issues of poor care, poor food quality, neglect, medication mismanagement and various other issues.

One of the biggest challenges for vulnerable residents is that they are not aware of what to do should they have issues with their providers.

The first step is to say something to a staff member or a manager at the facility, and to see if they can manage the issue internally.

“A lot of providers welcome feedback about their services but not all do.”

“For many [residents], they are fearful and fearful of retribution,” he said.

If that does not lead to a positive outcomes, there are advocacy groups like the Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia, as well the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner who can help.

If resident are facing serious abuse, and are being harmed, it’s essential to call the police.

What do you have to say? Comment, share and like below.

Leave a Reply

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

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Aged care residents not receiving beneficial gout medication

  Researchers have found that 10 per cent of people living in residential aged care have gout, but more may have the condition and are not receiving medication that could help them. Dr Amy Nguyen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Macquarie University, told HelloCare their research has shown... Read More

Snacking the key to staying alert on night shift

When staff are working night shift in nursing homes they often feel they are too busy to eat, but new research has shown that taking the time to eat a small snack is the best way to minimise feelings of sleepiness and they key to staying alert. Thankfully, a survey of HelloCare readers found nearly... Read More

5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep Quality

One of the biggest sleep-related myths is based upon a misunderstanding of the relationship between age and sleeplessness. People commonly believe that sleeping difficulties occur as a direct result of the aging process. Notably, researchers have found that the aging process may actually be accelerated by poor sleep. Below is a look at the link between sleep... Read More
Advertisement