Aged care residents with coronavirus turned away from hospital, providers say

St Basils Homes for the Aged in Victoria in Fawkner, Melbourne has seen a major cluster of cases. Source: AAP

The federal and state governments have been urged to act urgently as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths rise in Victoria’s aged care homes.

UPDATEDUPDATED 3 DAYS AGO

SHARE

• Share on Facebook
•  
• Share on Twitter

Growing concern for the health and care of more than one million older Australians has prompted a top-level meeting amid calls to also protect workers.

Aged and Community Services Australia chief executive Patricia Sparrow said aged care providers had reported that residents’ requests for hospital care had been rejected by hospitals.

READ MORE

Fears more deaths are likely as coronavirus linked to 45 Victorian aged care facilities

“If there’s an outbreak, the State Government and public health units are making the calls. If that hasn’t been the case, providers have sent people to hospital and the hospital has turned around and sent them back,” she said.

“We’re concerned to get the best outcome for the older person. We think that hospital is the best place for someone who has got Covid to go, to get a good health outcome.

“But we also have additional residents who we’re responsible for. We need to move people to hospital or another facility where they can get the care and treatment they need, and allow us to do everything we can to stop the spread.

READ MORE

‘Childish’ conspiracy theorist slammed for breaching Victorian police checkpoint

The need for a national response to safeguard elder Victorians has been highlighted after eight of the 12 fatalities in the state on Thursday and Friday were aged care residents.

Ms Sparrow on Friday demanded co-ordinated action to help the almost 1.3 million Victorians receiving care.

She argued the federal government needed to “stop what’s happening” in Victoria, because it could easily happen in another part of the country.

Victoria recorded 300 new COVID-19 cases on Friday as well as the deaths of seven people, five of whom were linked to aged care facilities.

Five of the seven coronavirus deaths on Friday were linked to aged care facilities.

AAP

Three of the five deaths in Victoria on Thursday were aged care residents at facilities where outbreaks have occurred.

Ms Palmer also said there was growing concern that they were not going to be able to fill all the shifts needed at aged care centres.

“It’s getting more difficult to get staff across the board and that’s why we think we need an overall plan,” she told reporters on Friday.

“Bringing staff from interstate, or using the military, or using students who have had additional training, we need to make sure that we’ve got staff.”

Ms Palmer said staff shortages were happening because workers were required to self-isolate while awaiting test results, and the restriction to working at only one site has also affected rostering.

Aged care residents with coronavirus turned away from hospital, providers say

St Basils Homes for the Aged in Victoria in Fawkner, Melbourne has seen a major cluster of cases. Source: AAP

The federal and state governments have been urged to act urgently as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths rise in Victoria’s aged care homes.

UPDATEDUPDATED 3 DAYS AGO

SHARE

• Share on Facebook
•  
• Share on Twitter

Growing concern for the health and care of more than one million older Australians has prompted a top-level meeting amid calls to also protect workers.

Aged and Community Services Australia chief executive Patricia Sparrow said aged care providers had reported that residents’ requests for hospital care had been rejected by hospitals.

READ MORE

Fears more deaths are likely as coronavirus linked to 45 Victorian aged care facilities

“If there’s an outbreak, the State Government and public health units are making the calls. If that hasn’t been the case, providers have sent people to hospital and the hospital has turned around and sent them back,” she said.

“We’re concerned to get the best outcome for the older person. We think that hospital is the best place for someone who has got Covid to go, to get a good health outcome.

“But we also have additional residents who we’re responsible for. We need to move people to hospital or another facility where they can get the care and treatment they need, and allow us to do everything we can to stop the spread.

READ MORE

‘Childish’ conspiracy theorist slammed for breaching Victorian police checkpoint

The need for a national response to safeguard elder Victorians has been highlighted after eight of the 12 fatalities in the state on Thursday and Friday were aged care residents.

Ms Sparrow on Friday demanded co-ordinated action to help the almost 1.3 million Victorians receiving care.

She argued the federal government needed to “stop what’s happening” in Victoria, because it could easily happen in another part of the country.

Victoria recorded 300 new COVID-19 cases on Friday as well as the deaths of seven people, five of whom were linked to aged care facilities.

Five of the seven coronavirus deaths on Friday were linked to aged care facilities.

AAP

Three of the five deaths in Victoria on Thursday were aged care residents at facilities where outbreaks have occurred.

Ms Palmer also said there was growing concern that they were not going to be able to fill all the shifts needed at aged care centres.

“It’s getting more difficult to get staff across the board and that’s why we think we need an overall plan,” she told reporters on Friday.

“Bringing staff from interstate, or using the military, or using students who have had additional training, we need to make sure that we’ve got staff.”

Ms Palmer said staff shortages were happening because workers were required to self-isolate while awaiting test results, and the restriction to working at only one site has also affected rostering.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/aged-care-residents-with-coronavirus-turned-away-from-hospital-providers-say