Aged care is back on the national agenda with Federal Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler signing the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch’s) pledge to fix aged care. But the union wants multicultural communities in Adelaide to act now to ensure quality care is given to loved ones in aged care facilities.

“What we are saying is it’s not too much to ask for quality care to elderly South Australians; and it’s not too much to ask for the aged care workers to get decent wages and have decent working conditions,” said ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM.

With a Federal election looming, the ANMF (SA Branch) have invited South Australian Federal politicians across all parties to sign their aged care pledge.
The campaign is asking for support for four key actions:

1. RN 24/7 – at least one registered nurse on site at all times
2. Minimum mandated care hours and the right skills mix
3. Greater transparency – funding tied to care
4. Improved wages and conditions

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“What we know is that many older Australians revert to their first language so it’s incredibly important that we engage with multicultural media to raise awareness of issues in aged care, and the failure of the Morrison Government to fix it,” Ms Dabars said.

“And children of ethnic parents really need to be aware of these issues, because it’s their parents who might not be able to communicate with these workers that need to know.”

The Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing Mr Butler said:

“Older Australians helped build this country. They worked hard, paid their taxes and built their communities. They should rightly expect that the Federal Government would support them in their frailer years with an aged care system based on a universal right to high quality, safe and timely support and care.

“It is clear that older Australians, their families and hardworking aged care workers can’t trust Scott Morrison to fix his broken system. After eight long years of neglect, another three years of Scott Morrison won’t fix aged care.”

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The ANMF’s campaign It’s not too much to ask is calling on the Morrison Government to provide quality care to residents and decent wage and conditions for aged care workers.

And while we wait for Scott Morrison to call the inevitable Federal Election, now is the time to remind him and his Government on their failure to act on aged care, and the impact this inevitably has on ethnic communities in the wider community.

Mr Butler thanked the ANMF for its advocacy on aged care issues.

“It’s been extraordinary,’’ he said. “I think the challenge the Royal Commission gave to the community broadly as well as the sector has to be met and I think you (the ANMF) providing some solutions and hope and a plan for how we do deliver the care older Australians deserve is a credit to your organisation.’’