When: Monday 11 November 2019
Where: 182 Macquarie Street, Hobart
Time: 1pm

Tasmanian nursing home residents are suffering right now – ANMF calls on the government to act now.

An audit of Tasmanian nursing homes yesterday shows the extent of care that is not being given to residents as a result of understaffing and lack of mandatory safe staffing ratios.

The ANMF conducted the audit of morning, afternoon and evening shifts in six facilities yesterday Sunday 10 November, 2019.

At one facility, the ANMF were shocked to find a locked dementia ward with no registered nurse on during the day or night for the ward.

ANMF State Secretary, Emily Shepherd said “right now as the Royal Commission begins hearings in Hobart, nursing home facilities are understaffing, and residents are missing out on vital care.”

“Why are our vulnerable nursing home residents not entitled to the same care as children in childcare? Why is the government not acting now to protect our mums and dads, our grandparents and our loved ones?” Ms Shepherd said today.

The audit shows that right now in nursing homes, as the Royal Commission starts hearings in Tasmania today, that there were many examples of missed care such as:

• Not enough time to properly feed residents
• Residents waiting longer than they should when asking for help or assistance
• Not enough time to document care
• Problems with broken equipment that have not been repaired for months
• Not enough staff to use the manual lifter (three are needed and not rostered on)
• Not enough time to document or for shift handover.

On Sunday, ANMF members indicated residents were more susceptible to increased pressure injuries, skin tears and falls due to the lack of staffing ratios and skills-mix in Tasmanian nursing homes.

“It’s a disgrace that even after the release Aged Care Royal Commission Interim Report titled ‘Neglect’, residents are still being made to suffer,” Ms Shepherd said.

 -End-

Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.shepherd@anmftas.org.au

Published 11th November 2019