Staff and Residents Suffer due to Staff Shortages

Staff and residents have been ignored again by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency which has approved a facility in Singleton in NSW despite it having one staffmember looking after 49 residents at night.

Alroy House recently passed 44 our of 44 accreditation standards when assessed by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.

That was despite inspectors from the agency finding that 12 of the 49 residents were classified as high care and residents and relatives both complained that there was too much to do for the one staffmember working at night.

Staff had also complained about the issue and the only response was to stop the night staffer also having to serve meals!!!!

The national secretary of the Health Services Union, Craig Thomson, said that it was simply unacceptable for so much of a burden to be placed on one staffmember.

''How could a facility pass accreditation when you realise that there are 49 residents who need to be looked after at night and only one staffmember on duty to do so?'' he said.

''It is unacceptable. There is no guarantee of care for the residents and their families and how do you think the staffmember feels?

''What if something terrible happened at a facility such as this like a fire in the night?

''The problem is there is no set standard that nursing homes have to meet - staffing levels just have to be seen as 'adequate' when the once in three years inspection takes place.
The union is running a national campaign to introduce minimum staffing levels in aged care facilities.
Under its proposals all facilities should have no less than one staffmember for every 15 residents working overnight.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Nov-2005 17:18:58 EST