The Royal Commission that will probe deeply into the aged care industry in Australia will soon begin taking evidence in Adelaide before it moves widely across the country. We have an ageing population and it is essential that the care provided in what is expected to be a fast growing industry achieves a measurable standard of care proficiency.
The early indications are not good. There are about two thousand aged care providers in Australia and so far just four percent have responded to a call for submissions which will indicate the problems that exist. The Commission has been forced to remind the industry that it is the hallmark of a civilized society the way it treats its most vulnerable people.
Even before it gets properly under way it has issued a warning that it is unlawful for a care provider to take punitive action against an employee or a former employee who assists the Commission and who instructs staff to withhold evidence or not cooperate. It was made clear that submissions would be accepted anonymously.
Aged care is a mix of charitable and" for profit " providers and its services range from virtual retirement villages for the mobile and healthy to nursing home beds for those enduring their last stages of life. The standard of care varies across such aspects as staff ratios and meal standards and it is the hope of this Royal Commission that a degree of uniformity can be achieved industry wide.
Aged care is a constantly changing demographic. In the early years of last century most families lived in a suburban home and a " Granny flat " in the backyard was common. Age care was family business, but today the residence is more likely to be a city apartment and families are scattered widely in diverging career paths. There is the expectation that aged care will be the growth industry of the twenty-first century.
Unfortunately, we regularly encounter horrifying instances of aged care that falls short of expectations. Patients with bed sores because of lack of staff to adequately care for them. Skimpy meals or food provided and uneaten by patients unable to feed themselves. Over medication or restraints used on patients considered " difficult " and undecipherable costs and charges appearing on the fee structure which deplete patients assets.
It is clearly evident that aged care needs to be a regulated industry. Along with the license to operate should come a regimen of inspections and standards which must be retained. The relatives of the aged seeking such accommodation for loved ones need the assurance that this industry is closely monitored and the safety aspect is paramount.
Hopefully, from this Royal Commission there should come recognition that aged care is a profession that delivers a career path with promotion prospects. In an era where many job opportunities are dwindling because of computers and automation it is encouraging to find a growth industry that is under resourced. All it needs is for this Royal Commission to deliver predictability and reliability to this new essential.
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