Nurses union puts aged care under the microscope

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has commenced a comprehensive national assessment of Australia’s aged care system in a bid to gauge the true impact of reforms announced in 2021 following the Aged Care Royal Commission.

Unveiled at the Federation’s 17th Biennial National Conference this week, the review is designed to act as a ‘pulse check’, drawing heavily on the direct experiences of nurses and care workers on the frontline.

ANMF federal secretary Annie Butler said there is a critical need for the review.

“Despite the damning findings of the Royal Commission and its 148 recommendations over four years ago, ANMF members continue to tell us that their ability to deliver safe, quality care to residents and clients is being compromised by understaffing and unsafe workloads. Too many of them say nothing seems to have changed,” Ms Butler said.

The ANMF has said the review will investigate key operational areas within the aged care sector, including staffing levels, the mix of skills within care teams, the adequacy of funding, and the safety protocols for both consumers and workers, as well as overall clinical safety.

This detailed examination will not only incorporate existing government and stakeholder reports but will integrate feedback directly from ANMF members, providing an essential ground-level perspective on the sector's current state.

Ms Butler pointed to government data showing a number of providers are falling short of legislated obligations.

“But what’s even worse, more troubling and disturbing, is that some providers are manipulating the system to avoid genuinely meeting staffing requirements by changing rosters for frontline nurses and direct care workers, including cuts to rostered staffing hours, shift lengths and shift times, particularly night and weekend shifts, and changing workers’ job titles and classifications to include them in mandated care minutes reports. It’s why the delivery of care continues to be compromised in residential aged care facilities,” she said.

“These behaviours, coupled with an ongoing failure of some providers to pass on taxpayer funded wage increases to their staff, are not only driving quality staff away from the sector, but are risking the health, safety and happiness of the older Australians in their care.”

Ms Butler went on to say that for nurses and midwives working in aged care, the current state of the sector is “deeply distressing,” which is why the union believes this urgent ‘pulse check’ of the aged care system is essential.

The goal is to avoid a future Royal Commission by proactively addressing systemic issues.

The findings from this national survey will be instrumental in shaping a new ANMF campaign, focussing on aged care staffing, funding, and workforce planning.