Registered Nurses Not Needed 24/7

LAST month the state government voted 45 to 34 not to pass law requiring all aged care facilities to have a registered nurse on site at all times.

Jo Bailey, managing director of Quality Care said when she heard people in the local community voice their concerns that the law was not passed, she decided to hold an information session tomorrow to explain why so many people in the aged care industry supported the government’s final decision.

Jo Bailey is holding a community information session about registered nurse resourcing in aged care.

“I am just going to do a presentation on the facts around the whole RN (registered nurse) issue in aged care,” said Ms Bailey.

“People don’t realise is they would have been signing a death warrant for all these small stand-alone facilities, overnight you would have had Murravale, Gumman Place at Merriwa, Merton Court and the one at Boggabri would close,” she said.

“We’re not talking about the big facilities where they have big numbers of high care residents, absolutely you need an RN on site there and they have them, we are talking about the little stand-alone hostels that have never had RN’s on site 24/7 and all we were saying was leave the status quo so they don’t close,” she said.

“There is a huge, huge shortage of RN’s in aged care and there is a fear campaign that aged care providers are trying to get rid of RN’s out of aged care, we are certainly not trying to do that, we would love to have more RN’s in aged care but we can not get them; we are totally reliant on 457 visa RN’s most of our facilities are completely staffed with 457 visa RN’s,” she said.

Ms Bailey explained that in 2014 when new legislation abolished the distinction between high care and low care there was a push for every facility to have an RN on site at all times.

“No one is more passionate and a greater advocate for old people than I am and I will not be part of any aged care facility that does not deliver the best possible quality of care.

“You need access to RN’s, but it doesn’t mean they have to be on the floor 24/7 in all facilities,” she said.

Michael Johnsen the state member of Parliament for the Hunter will be at the meeting to explain why he voted against having registered nurses on site at all times in all facilities.

“I’ve put Michael Johnsen in the hot seat and that’s fine I contacted him because he was one who voted against it and I was one of a group of aged care representatives that went and lobbied on his doorstep twelve months ago to say are you aware of the implications to all of the rural aged care facilities?” Jo Bailey said.

HammondCare, which operate Strathearn Village in Scone have a registered nurse on site at all times, but agree facilities need flexibility in staffing.

“At Strathearn Village we provide a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week and there is no intention to change this,” said Angela Raguz, general manager of residential care at HammondCare.

“While we have registered nurses in most of our homes we believe there should be flexibility and that staffing ratios should not be prescribed in aged care settings,” she said.

“New models are emerging which challenge the traditional boundaries delivered in residential care – going forward we need a multi-skilled workforce and any future system should not stifle innovation and must remain flexible,” Ms Raguz said.

Currently HammondCare is trying to recruit a registered nurse at the new Strathearn House and in the interim have a registered nurse on call.

• WHAT: Community information session on the issue of registered nurse staffing in aged are.
• WHEN: 5pm, Thursday, June 8.
• WHERE: Council Chambers, Upper Hunter Shire Council, Crn Main Street and Liverpool Street, Scone.