Australia’s peak body for aged care providers has noted the sector will need help from defense staff beyond its September extension date.
Key points:
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Aged care facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks may receive help from Australian Defense Force
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The peak body says staff shortages are likely to continue beyond September
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An aged care center in Stawell which received support says staff were ‘a wonderful help’.
Defense Minister Richard Marles and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells issued a joint statement on Sunday announcing the federal government would extend and expand the Australian Defense Force’s support for residential care to seniors from August 12 to September 30.
Up to 250 general duty personnel will be able to be deployed to facilities across the country, a significant increase from the estimated 25 currently in attendance.
Association of Aged and Community Care Providers chief executive Paul Sadler said the move was “very welcome” by the sector but would do little to ease the huge shortage of work
Paul Sadler has welcomed the support but says more will be needed. (Courtesy: Paul Sadler)
“Right now we’re short, just in residential care, 27,000 workers,” Sadler said.
He said about 10 percent of staff were off the job with COVID, flu or isolation.
“We have a significant challenge with staffing availability,” Sadler said.
“This is always our weakest point when it comes to the pandemic.”
There were more than 1,000 active outbreaks affecting seniors’ homes in Australia on 22 July.
Sadler said the sector “clearly needed help beyond the end of September”.
“But it’s probably not unreasonable for us to expect ADF support to be available on an ongoing basis,” he said.
“The defense force … is there to defend Australia, it’s not really set up to be a long-term supporter of a set of emergencies because of something like a global pandemic.”
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Residents “loved” the visit
Stawell care provider Eventide Homes said goodbye to three members of the Adelaide Defense Force last Friday who were called in amid the facility’s first outbreak of the pandemic.
It had 58 residents and 16 employees infected at the height of the outbreak.
Chief executive Gary Simpson said the number of active cases among residents had dropped from 17 over the weekend to four on Monday.
Mr Simpson said the staff – two registered nurses and one registered nurse – had been a “wonderful help” during what had been a “difficult few weeks”.
Eventide Homes in Stawell recently received help from three members of the defense forces. (Supplied by: Eventide Men)
“His demeanor with the residents was wonderful,” Simpson said.
“The residents loved them.”
He said he also believed the end date of the support measure should be revised.
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