The aged care sector is stuck in truly dark times that harken back to a past era. I have been working as an assistant in nursing for the past four years in an aged care facility and the current system is not working for the residents or the workers.
I am an immigrant to this country as are the majority of my co-workers. I have a bachelor’s degree and a background in mental health. Many of my co-workers also have degrees in nursing and health care from their home countries. We know what we need to do to provide the best care and dignity, but the system prevents us from doing so.
The sector must have staffing ratios. The facility I work at, which is probably typical of others, is more like a sweatshop or factory line than a residential care facility for Australia’s elderly. We simply do not have the time to provide holistic care. On some days, even providing the basics of daily life, like brushing teeth, showering and toileting are a challenge.
It is far too often that we are short staffed. On those days, if residents request a shower we have to decline because the priority may be to change another resident’s incontinence pad so they do not continue to lay in their own faeces. This is no way to care for Australia’s elderly and is mentally and physically draining for workers who want to help maintain a decent quality of life for those who have cared for others and now can’t care for themselves.
What I see is that people who take on this job to make a positive difference in people’s lives don’t last. Fresh ideas and a positive view on ageing are not supported by management. It is no wonder that the aged care sector faces high turnover. Despite the need for thousands of new assistants-in-nursing (AINs), people leave constantly for other jobs where they not forced to turn a blind eye to people’s basic needs.
As a result of high turnover, we frequently work with temporary AINs supplied by employment agencies. These workers may try their best, but they lack knowledge of the residents, the facility and frequently don’t have proper training. Working with temporary AINs compounds an already stressful environment.
On one occasion, a serious but preventable accident happened when I was working with a temporary AIN. He had been working double shifts the day before, had slept only four hours and travelled two hours by public transportation to get there at 6.45am. As we transferred a resident using a full body lifter from her bed to a wheelchair, the resident and the wheelchair fell on top of me. Luckily nothing serious happened to the resident or me. This accident would have been avoided if we had full-time staff with proper training.
There are frequentl cases of improper care and increased burdens on permanent staff due to my facility’s dependence on using temporary AINs. It is not the workers’ fault, but they simply do not know about each individual resident’s needs and abilities. How could they provide appropriate care?
My facility is a high care facility and many residents need assistance to eat. Due to under-staffing we don’t have the time to properly feed them. Sometimes we have to rush to get the food from the plate into their mouths. This is truly unpleasant for the workers and the resident. This should be an opportunity to enjoy the food and have a meaningful engagement with the residents.
Thankfully, some residents have family members that are able to come during meal times and assist in feeding their loved ones. The situation would be much worse without the love and care of family members. From my experience, residents without family members involved on a regular basis seem to receive a much lower standard of care.
I came as an immigrant to this country seeking to improve the quality of life for my family. I am grateful to be here as my children are thriving in Australia. The foundations of this beautiful country were laid by some of the people that I am caring for today.
I am proud to be caring for them now, it is an honour. They deserve better. As a society we have a moral obligation to improve the whole aged care system. Aged care facilities should not be a dumping ground for people waiting to die. Out of sight and out of mind is not acceptable.
The problems in aged care are complex and the needs of residents are changing. There are some positive innovations, but some significant barriers. The one concrete step that needs to happen now is that the government, as a condition of funding, must mandate staffing levels that enable workers, like myself, to provide Australia’s vulnerable elderly residents with dignity and a decent quality of life.
