“Pensioners are calling on Federal MPs and Senators to support the Private Member’s Bill to be introduced into Federal Parliament today by South Australian Independent Rebekha Sharkie. The Bill makes it compulsory for nursing homes to publicly disclose their staffing ratios”, said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport, chaired by Trent Zimmerman MP, previously recommended the adoption of Ms Sharkie’s Aged Care Amendment (Staffing Rao Disclosure) Bill 2018.
“With no current national laws to ensure that providers employ the right numbers of staff with the right mix of skills, the Sharkie Bill is crucial in giving nursing home residents and their families information about exactly how many nurses and carers are on duty”, said Versteege.
“Evidence at the Royal Commission has made it abundantly clear that chronic understaffing continues to result in episodes of missed care, neglect, abuse, preventable illness and injury and even death.
“CPSA applauds the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s announcement about publicly reporting of staffing levels and the introduction of compulsory minimum staff-to-residents ratio in the 16 Queensland Government-owned nursing homes.
“Queensland has followed the Victorian lead in this regard and CPSA calls on all other state and territory Governments to require minimum staffing levels in nursing homes”, said Versteege.
