Speakers include Federal Member for Batman Ged Kearney and Victorian Senator Derryn Hinch
Community Rally for Ratios
Saturday 12 May 2018 (International Nurses Day)
11.30 – 1pm, speakers from 12.15pm
Queens Park, Moonee Ponds (corner Mt Alexander Rd and Kellaway Ave)
Nurses, carers, aged care residents and their family and friends will rally on Saturday 12 May in Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s electorate of Maribyrnong to call on Federal Labor to support making aged care ratios law.
The Moonee Ponds rally is the Victorian launch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation’s national ‘Aged Care Ratios. Make Them Law. Now’ campaign.
New laws and rules are required for private-for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes because not enough of this year’s $18.6 billion in federal taxpayer aged care funding is being spent on direct resident care.
In the last financial year nursing home owners recorded their first profit over $1 billion while spending on nursing care and nutritious food has decreased.
Compared to 2003 figures, in 2016 there were 46,000 more nursing home beds, but 1700 fewer registered nurses.
Research into nursing home food has recently found residential aged care providers have cut their average daily spend on meals by 30 cents per resident to $6.08.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said ‘It’s not all nursing homes, but way too many of them are penny pinching on food and it’s wrong that they’re pocketing profit but not providing residents with nutritious, restorative meals to promote wellbeing and avoid malnutrition.
‘We’re seeing the same profit skimming on clinical nursing care and everyone should be concerned about the missed resident care when there’s one registered nurse for 72 residents delegating to a few personal care workers.
‘That’s why private-for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes must have minimum nurse/carer to resident ratios in federal law. If the Andrews Government can introduce ratios law in Victoria’s public nursing homes, what’s holding back the Turnbull Government?’ Ms Fitzpatrick said.
‘Nursing homes should have to publish residents’ malnutrition rates and other clinical outcomes such as falls, medication errors, ulcers and hospital transfers so families can make informed decisions when choosing a nursing home for their loved one.’
