More must be done to prepare and support aged care facilities across the nation to be ready for current and future outbreaks of COVID-19. 

That is the view of Dr Mike Freelander MP, Federal Member for Macarthur, and the Labor Party who have again written to the Morrison Government calling for more action to address these concerns and failures within the system.

The Commonwealth has responsibility for aged care and the Prime Minister cannot again be left flat footed if there are further outbreaks. Under Scott Morrison, less than one in three aged care workers having completed the Government’s training modules in infection control and how to use PPE. This poor leadership must change.

Dr Freelander states that if a diagnosis of COVID-19 is made in an aged care facility, the response must be immediate and transparent, with the diagnosed patient being transferred as soon as possible to a facility equipped to deal with managing COVID-19.

Further, staff members should not work across multiple facility sites as this only increases the risk of the disease spreading; with the Member for Macarthur noting that one way to manage this issue is to increase staff to patient ratios at existing facilities.

These are challenging times for residents of aged care facilities and their families, with miscommunication and misunderstanding only worsening the situation. To combat this, Dr Freelander is calling for open lines of communication to be established between aged care facilities and relatives.

Labor is calling on the Morrison Government to urgently implement a national plan of action for COVID-19 in aged care:

• The Morrison Government must negotiate and establish protocols with other state and territory governments that would allow an aged care response centre to be stood up immediately.

• The Morrison Government must expand and provide greater training opportunities for aged care workers in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection control practices.

• The Morrison Government must open up the retention bonus eligibility to all aged care workers in recognition of their heroic effort on the frontline of our fight against COVID-19.

Scott Morrison must now make sure aged care homes throughout the rest of Australia are ready for any new outbreaks. He must do better for our most vulnerable older Australians. 

Quotes attributable to Dr Mike Freelander MP:

“Aged care facilities require support from the Federal Government to manage, contain and control COVID-19 outbreaks; we cannot allow the rates of cases and deaths to increase.”

“This is a stressful and concerning time for aged care residents, staff and their families. The Morrison Government has failed to ease this stress and hardship and the time for action is now. I believe greater lines of communication must be established between these facilities and the families of residents.”

“I join my Labor colleagues in urging the Prime Minister to implement a national plan of action to assist aged care facilities and more must be done to transfer COVID positive patients out of these facilities and into care”