25/02/2023

The Federal Government’s actions were “insufficient” to ensure the aged care sector was fully prepared for the coronavirus pandemic, the aged care royal commission has found in a special report.

The Federal Government’s actions were “insufficient” to ensure the aged care sector was fully prepared for the coronavirus pandemic, the aged care royal commission has found in a special report.
Key points:

  • The royal commission has called on the Government to develop a comprehensive plan for COVID-19 in the sector
  • It has found government actions were “insufficient” to fully prepare the sector
  • The Government has accepted all the report’s recommendations

The report calls for a comprehensive plan for the sector to be developed, for urgent funding to be delivered and for infection control experts to be deployed to all aged care homes.
It says a national aged care advisory body should be created, along with a plan that maximises contact between aged care residents and their families and ensures all outbreaks of COVID-19 are investigated independently.
During at-times testy hearings last month, officials maintained the Federal Government had developed a plan for managing coronavirus in the aged care sector, despite allegations to the contrary by counsel assisting.
The commission found that while efforts had been made based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), they did not go far enough.
“It is now clear that the measures implemented by the Australian Government on advice from the AHPPC were in some respects insufficient to ensure preparedness of the aged care sector,” the report said.
“Confused and inconsistent messaging from providers, the Australian Government, and state and territory governments emerged as themes in the submissions we have received on COVID-19.”
Catch up on the main COVID-19 news from October 1 with our coronavirus blog.
The Government has accepted all of the report’s recommendations, which also raise concern for the mental wellbeing of people in residential aged care.
The report says the Government should immediately provide funding for adequate staff to allow for residents to be visited by their families and friends, and add items to the Medicare Benefits Schedule to allow for increased provision of allied health services, including mental health support.
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“Levels of depression, anxiety, confusion, loneliness and suicide risk among aged care residents have increased since March 2020,” the report said.
“Some of this can be attributed to missing family, changed routines, concern about catching the virus or fear of being isolated in their rooms.”
The commissioners labelled the coronavirus pandemic as the greatest challenge the aged care sector has faced.
As of yesterday, 665 people in residential aged care had died of COVID-19 in Australia.
Government agrees to all recommendations
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the Government accepted all the report’s recommendations and had already worked to progress four of them.
“We’re not shirking any of this. We’re fronting up, we’re looking ahead to the future management of this terrible virus and we will continue to develop our plan,” he said.
“The Government maintains its position that it has a plan in place.
“All the way through this pandemic, we have operated on the medical and health advice of the AHPPC.”
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He also announced $29.8 million in new funding for serious incident responses and $10.8 million to enhance the skills of aged care nurses, in response to the recommendation about boosting infection control officers in aged care homes.
Labor’s aged care spokeswoman Julie Collins said the Government had caused a “national tragedy”.
“The Royal Commission’s special report on COVID-19 confirms the Morrison Government had no plan for COVID-19 in aged care,” she said.
“The result of the Morrison Government’s catastrophic failure is a national tragedy.”
Report ‘let the Government off the hook’: expert
Professor Joseph Ibrahim gave evidence at the inquiry.
Specialist practitioner in geriatric medicine Joseph Ibrahim, who condemned the Government’s response in evidence to the commission, said the Government had been let off lightly.
“The royal commission’s report is constructive, it’s predominantly descriptive about what has happened, there’s been little analysis about what could have been done better early on,” he said.
“I think it’s really let the Government off the hook here.
“The recommendations put forward will go some ways towards improving the response in Australia, I think when people look at it they’ll be asking the question of why wasn’t this done earlier?”
The royal commission’s recommendations were welcomed by seniors’ advocates including Aged and Community Services Australia and National Seniors Australia.
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