Local nurses have travelled to Canberra to call for urgent action on aged care, as the sector continues to struggle through a profound crisis.

Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman met with two Blue Mountains aged care nurses who had travelled to take part in a rally in front of Parliament House on Tuesday, February 8.

“Jocelyn Hofman and Annette Peters travelled all the way from the Mountains to take part in the rally. Jocelyn had just finished a night shift, and at nearly 80 years of age, Annette is passionate about fighting for better conditions in an industry she loves,” Ms Templeman said.

“They came because they have fought for better nurse ratios in aged care for many years, a situation that was unsustainable even before COVID.

“They came to share stories about what it’s like, about the choices they have to make. Sometimes it’s the choice between racing to help someone who’s fallen on the floor or to a gentleman lying in bed in pain, or to someone calling out, or someone wandering into someone else’s room, whether to tend a wound or shower someone.

“Those are choices no one should be asked to make.

“COVID has run rife through the sector. Aged Care homes can’t get hold of PPE or rapid antigen tests (RATs) and in recent weeks, we’ve seen about half of all staff on sick leave or furlough. 

“We have had hundreds of people who have died in aged care, and thousands of residents who are locked down.

“Families can’t just pop in and see their husband or wife, mum or dad, grandma or grandpa.

“The Morrison Government has said it’s providing RATs to aged care facilities, but there’s a caveat; staff at one local facility have told me they only get them during an outbreak!

“These tests are tools that help prevent outbreaks and foresee when there might be someone who is COVID-positive through regular screening, yet the Morrison Government doesn’t seem to understand that concept. You don’t wait until there’s an outbreak – you need to have regular screening.

“Families and residents are suffering, and it’s not for the want of the fantastic work of people like Annette and Jocelyn. It’s through the complete failure of the Federal Government to act.

“When you have a Royal Commission calling it’s final report into the sector simply “Neglect”; when you call in the army to try and fix up the mess, there is something very wrong.

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