<
https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-professor-joseph-ibrahim-on-covid-in-aged-care-and-the-end-of-nursing-homes-190753>
"Joseph Ibrahim, Professor and Head, Health Law and Ageing Research Unit,
Monash University, specialises in aged care issues. He has been a long-term
advocate for improving the quality of life for those in residential care and
for reform of the sector.
In this podcast, Ibrahim says currently COVID in aged care facilities is going
largely unnoticed in the media. “If you have a look into the media coverage it
would seem that it’s not a problem at all. [But] COVID deaths are far greater
than at any time in the last two to three years”. While the vaccines have
helped get things under control, the absence of restrictions is seeing
infection rates at an all-time high. Ibrahim believes there should be a more
tailored approach to outbreaks at facilities, depending on the circumstances.
A key election promise from Anthony Albanese was for a nurse on-site 24/7 in
aged care facilities. Ibrahim is sceptical about how this will be achieved,
given how many would be needed to meet the objective. “We would need 15,000 new
nurses just to have one nurse in every facility, 24/7.”
More generally, in relation to the desperate staff shortages in the sector,
Ibrahim says there is a “lack of respect” for aged care workers, citing low
pay, the treatment they are given compared to healthcare professionals in
hospitals, and the lesser opportunities for a career path."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
