Tag: Aged Care

New hotline to report substandard food in nursing homes

Nursing home residents and their families will soon have the ability to report aged care providers for serving substandard meals, with a new food ‘hotline’ headlining a range of measures announced yesterday by the federal government to lift the standard of food and nutrition in the sector. The $12.9 million investment, part of the $36 […]

Distressed and devalued: Aged care workers’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic demanded a rapid response from the aged care workforce, with the unprecedented challenges leading to increased workloads, intensified emotional demands and staff feeling undervalued, a study has found. Seeking to understand aged care worker’s experiences of the pandemic, University of Tasmania researchers interviewed 15 aged care workers from across Australia. Analysis of […]

‘I felt unsafe’: Why I had to stop working in aged care

In 2020, after nearly a decade working in ED, NSW registered nurse Emma McSeveny pivoted into aged care, believing that her broad experience and skillset could bring value to the sector. Within just three years, however, overwhelmed by not enough staff and poor working conditions and wages, she reluctantly made the decision to stop working […]

Enrolled nurses at Southern Cross Care saved from redundancy

After six months of uncertainty and stress in the face of impending redundancies, enrolled nurses working across Southern Cross Care Tasmania’s (SCCT) aged care facilities have finally kept their jobs after action led by the Australia Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF Tasmanian Branch) forced the provider to back down on its plans. Today, the ANMF […]

Strength, will and knowledge: critical components for aged care nursing

When Gerardine (Ged) Kearney MP, now Assistant Minister for Health and Aged care, made her maiden speech in 2018, she had this to say about aged care: “While some enterprises in aged care are caring providers that struggle to stay afloat, too many are simply investors who cut costs and services to maintain profit. When […]

Aged care: Change is afoot

Nurses and care workers working in aged care understand firsthand the desperate need for change within the sector to improve care delivery and working conditions. The ANMF has been campaigning for decades to improve the visibility of the long-standing issues in aged care and improve care delivery. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and […]

New COVID-19 leave grants to support aged care workers

New Aged Care Worker COVID-19 leave grants will be available from 1 April to support permanent or casual aged care workers caring for older Australians most at risk of severe illness, the federal government has announced. Workers will be able to receive a payment of up to $750 directly from their employer when they are […]