Nurses and assistants in nursing working in aged care and public health in the Federal electorate of New England have joined together to seek Tony Windsor’s support.

By supporting aged care in Budget 2012, Tony Windsor can make a real difference to thousands of older Australians living in New England.

‘Please support us Mr Windsor’ ‘Please help us achieve aged care reform and an increase to aged care funding. This will deliver benefits to so many local people you represent, older Australians, their families and dedicated Nurses and AiNs throughout your electorate.’ – Irene Neyle, Enrolled Nurse, Werris Creek.

Aged Care is in crisis and quality of care for vulnerable older Australians must be a priority. By signing the petition, we are asking local MP, Tony Windsor to:

1. Make Budget 2012 the aged care budget;
2. Ensure quality of care by guaranteeing a minimum number of nurses to residents on every shift;
3. Ensure that Budget 2012 commits the funds to close the wages gap and guarantee nurses remain in aged care.

Community Meeting

Nurses in Tamworth will be holding a community meeting on Wednesday March 7th at 7.00pm in the Tamworth Community Centre to talk about the aged care crisis, and hand over the petition to Tony Windsor MP. Speakers include

• Tony Windsor, MP Member for New England,
• Yvonne Chaperon, Assistant Federal Secretary ANF,
• Jan Howard, Registered Nurse, aged care,
• Ros Norman, Enrolled Nurse, public hospital, and
• Maryann Krug, wife of a nursing home resident.

Nurse Jan Howard (pictured) who is speaking at the meeting will talk about the day to day reality of working in aged care.

Want to help?

1. Download a leaflet
2. Put up a poster
3. Come to the community meeting
4. Sign the petition to Tony Windsor MP and ask your friends and families to sign it.
5. Send a message to Tony Windsor MP that you support more aged care funding.

Image credit: ANF

Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Nurse Uncut e-newsletter here!

The Australian Nursing Federation’s national Because We Care campaign for more resources in the aged-care sector is gathering momentum in Tamworth.

The first few hundred signatures to be presented to independent member for New England Tony Windsor were gathered at Northgate Shopping Centre on Tuesday the 24th of January, the first day of the petition locally.

NSW Nurses’ Association Tamworth representative Roz Norman said nurses, assistants-in-nursing and residents living in aged-care facilities joined together during the Country Music Festival to attract more public support.

“Aged care can’t wait,” Mrs Norman said.

“Our petition is calling on Mr Windsor, as our local federal MP, to stand up for aged-care funding in the 2012 budget.”

Australian Nursing Federation secretary Lee Thomas said the aged-care sector urgently needed more than 20,000 extra nursing staff to meet the demand of the nation’s ageing population.

“But the massive shortage of aged-care nurses is no surprise, considering nurses in aged care are paid significantly less than nurses working in public hospitals making between $168 and $300 on average less per week,” Ms Thomas said.

The information stall will remain at Northgate this week before it will be placed outside Woolworths in Shoppingworld in coming weeks. The petition will be presented to Mr Windsor at the Tamworth Community Centre on Wednesday, March 7.

Have any aged care campaign events have been held in your region?

Image credit: NSWNA

Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Nurse Uncut e-newsletter here!

A new survey has revealed low paid nursing and care workers will leave the aged care workforce unless the Gillard Government urgently addresses the wages gap.

The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) launched the on-line survey of aged care workers as part of its national “Because We Care” campaign aimed at fixing Australia’s under-resourced aged care sector.

Hundreds of aged care nursing and care staff are continuing to respond to the survey, which poses the question “Will you leave the aged care workforce if the Gillard Government does not close the wages gap?”

So far, results are showing:

• A majority 77 per cent of aged care workers responded they would leave.
• 12 per cent were unsure if they would leave.
• 10 per cent said wouldn’t leave.

“Although, the survey commenced only last week, there’s an emerging pattern showing that low paid nursing and care staff in aged care are extremely concerned about the wages gap they’re experiencing and are prepared to leave the workforce unless the Gillard Government steps-in and rectifies it,” ANF Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas said.

“How can the sector possibly expect to recruit the 20,000 extra nursing staff needed to meet the growing demand of Australia’s ageing population if aged care nursing and care staff are being paid significantly less than what they would earn in other health settings?

“The ANF and its growing membership are now seriously concerned that unless the Gillard Government acts, we will simply have no workforce left to deliver quality care for the elderly Australians living in nursing homes.”

The ANF is calling on the Government to inject $500 million to close the wages gap in aged care by making Budget 2012 the “aged care Budget”.

Will you leave the age care sector if the wages gap is not fixed?

Image credit: NSWNA

Don’t forget to enter our Nurse Uncut Christmas Contest! You could win an Ipad 2 worth $894!

The Productivity Commission’s report into aged care recognises the need to fix workforce issues in the sector – but not in a timely manner.

Members’ hard work in the ‘Because We Care’ campaign has resulted in aged care being elevated to a national priority, with the Productivity Commission’s report acknowledging the need to fix the wages gap and improve staffing and skill mix in the sector.

It recognises that working in aged care is labour intensive, the demand for aged care workers is high, there are problems attracting and retaining workers, and that nurses working in the sector are paid significantly less than nurses in the public system and that the gap has been widening.

It also acknowledged that a comprehensive workforce strategy needs to be developed, along with the payment of fair and competitive wages.

However, the NSWNA is disappointed with the timeframe proposed by the report to fix wages and staffing issues.

The Commission has recommended the establishment of an Australian Aged Care Commission that would be responsible for quality and accreditation, including assessing the cost of care and establishing transparency of pricing. This would include a role in how care is delivered in terms of wages, skill mix and staffing levels. But if such a body is established, the timeframe provided is within the next three to five years.

NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said aged care cannot wait that long.

”‘We are not happy with the timeframe the report puts on addressing the wages gap, but we’ve had great success in getting workforce issues and wages on the agenda, and there’s been an acknowledgement that wages and staffing are key issues that need to be addressed.”

Although there is no recommendation in support of regulation or licensing for AiNs, the report does acknowledge a need to review the vocational education training system to improve consistency and ensure training providers are meeting standards.

There are recommendations to expand the number of accredited aged care courses at all vocational and tertiary levels, and to establish ‘teaching aged care services’.

Other areas covered by the report include reducing the Department of Health and Ageing to a policy advisory body, extensive changes to the Aged Care Complaints system, more avenues for consumer consultation and input, increased and more transparent financial reporting activity in the industry, incentives for GPs to attend aged care homes, and better funding for palliative services in residential care. The Association also played a part in ensuring that the needs of older gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people were included in the report.

‘The NSWNA supports the overall direction of the reforms that aim to keep people in their homes for as long as possible with care being brought to them,’ said Brett.

You can download the Productivity Commission report here.

What do you think? Is 3-5 years far too long to fix the aged care sector?

Source: ANF

Image credit: NSWNA

Don’t forget to enter our Nurse Uncut 2nd year anniversary contest to win $500 from ME Bank!

A shortage of nursing staff is having a real impact on hospitals and aged care: we can’t afford to wait!

On 8 August Prime Minister Gillard released the final Productivity Commission report, saying:

The Government will develop its response to the report’s recommendations guided by four overarching principles:

• First, every older Australian has earned the right to be able to access quality care and support that is appropriate to their needs, when they need it.
• Secondly, older Australians deserve greater choice and control over their care arrangements than the system currently provides.
• Thirdly, funding arrangements for aged care need to be sustainable and fair, both for older Australians and for the broader community.
• And finally, older Australians deserve to receive quality care from an appropriately skilled workforce.

The ANF agrees with the Prime Minister that older Australians deserve to receive quality care from an appropriately skilled workforce.

But what is really happening with the nursing workforce in aged care?

1. The shortage of nursing staff is having a real impact across the aged care sector.
2. Registered nurse care in aged care facilities has been shown to improve health outcomes for residents, yet nurses are providing almost 50 per cent less care today than in 2004.
3. Hospitals are currently shouldering the burden of a shortage of nursing staff in aged care; the shortage of nursing staff is delaying hospital reform, impacting the health outcomes of aged care residents and increasing care costs.
4. Government reforms in hospitals and aged care rely on adequate staffing of aged care; without addressing this shortage, we’re starting reform on the back foot.
5. Government measures to address staffing shortages in aged care are welcome, but will take effect in the medium to long term; they will not address current shortages.
6. In 2007, there were nearly 8,000 fewer registered and enrolled nurses working in aged care in than in 1995.
7. The 2009 Bentley’s National Residential Aged Care Survey revealed that registered and enrolled nurses are providing almost 50 per cent less care of residents in aged care facilities than in 2004.

Send an email to your local Member of Parliament or Senator about the wages gap

Don’t forget to enter our Nurse Uncut 2nd year anniversary contest to win $500 from ME Bank!

The Caring for Older Australians Report has been released. What does it recommend to improve the working lives of nurses and AINs and the quality of care for our aged care residents?

On August 8 the Federal Government released the final Productivity Commission report – Caring for Older Australians.

What’s in the Report for nurses?

The Report recognised that staffing levels and skills were an issue in aged care, but did not want to be prescriptive for providers by regulating how many 'high skilled (or low skilled) workers' they employ.

Staffing levels and mix

The ANF submitted that there needed to be a guaranteed 4.5 hours per day of nursing and personal care for each resident per day.

PC Report Recommendations – There are numerous recommendations that include the establishment of a statutory body called the Australian Aged Care Commission (AACC). Its purpose amongst other things is ‘pay regard to fair and competitive wages and to consider appropriate mix and level of skills when setting their care charges’.

The Report recognised that staffing levels and skills were an issue in aged care, but did not want to be prescriptive for providers by regulating how many ‘high skilled (or low skilled) workers’ they employ.

As such, there is nothing of substance in relation to staffing levels or skills mix included in the Report!

Some other issues that were not addresses in the report are:

24 RN cover in residential care – not addressed.

Full time DON in all aged care facilities – not addressed.

Wages gap

The Productivity Commission Report acknowledges that:

• Working in aged care is labour intensive;
• Demand for aged care workers is high, and is expected to significantly increase over the next 40 years;
• There are problems attracting and retaining workers in aged care;
• A comprehensive workforce strategy needs to be developed;
• Paying fair and competitive wages, developing career paths and improving access to education and training are issues;
• Registered and enrolled nurses and AIN’s are relatively poorly paid compared to those performing similar roles in the public system, and the gap has been widening;

Again, the Report proposes that the Australian Aged Care Commission be established (AACC) as an independent mechanism for assessing the efficient cost of care and the cost of wages in this care (including competitive wages, skill mix and staffing levels).

If this body is established, it is proposed to be operative within the next 3 – 5 years.

BUT, Aged Care can’t wait 3 – 5 years to start fixing wages, care, staffing levels and skills mix! The Federal Labor Government must step in now and close the wages gap.

We will be going into further detail about the Productivity Commission’s report and what it fails to highlight in further blogs. In the meantime you can read it here.

Does the report frustrate you?

What are your major concerns that have not been highlighted in the report?

Image credit: NSWNA

Don’t forget to enter our Nurse Uncut 2nd year anniversary contest to win $500 from ME Bank!

ANF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas said the report – Caring for Older Australians - doesn’t offer real solutions to fixing Australia’s under-resourced aged care sector.

“Whilst the PC report acknowledges there are workforce issues in aged care, it contains no tangible mechanisms on how to close the wages gap for the aged care workforce so residents receive quality care they deserve,” Ms Thomas said.

“It is inconceivable that the PC, after months of public hearings and submissions from nursing staff from the various states, fails to address the $500 million required to close the wages gap for nurses and assistants in nursing (AINs) working in the sector.

“The PC report recommends the timeframe of three to five years for a new statutory body to examine wages, but this is far too long.

“Aged care can’t wait any longer! That’s why the ANF is calling on the Gillard Government to step-in now and act by making next year’s Budget the aged care Budget.”

According to the ANF, the sector urgently needs more than 20,000 extra nursing staff to cope with Australia’s ageing population.

“It is imperative the Government steps-in following the release of the PC report and begins the reform of the aged care sector by closing the wage gap, otherwise we will simply have no workforce left to care for elderly Australians in nursing homes.”

Our aged care nursing staff are getting paid between $168 and $300 on average less per week than nurses working in public hospitals!

How does this make you feel?

Image credit: NSWNA

Don’t forget to enter our Nurse Uncut 2nd year anniversary contest to win $500 from ME Bank!

Aged Care can’t wait and urgent action is needed to make budget 2012 the aged care budget.

Thanks to a new ‘Because We Care’ campaign, you can now email the Prime Minister directly!

It is important that as many nurses as possible email the PM this week because the Productivity Commission’s final report will be released next Monday 8th August at 2.30pm in Canberra. The direct link to email the PM is here.

Seven reasons why Aged Care Can’t Wait!

1. There is a critical shortage of nurses in aged care. The aged care sector needs more than 20,000 additional nurses right now.
2. The Australian population is ageing. The ageing of our population means that unless urgent action is taken the shortage will get worse, on top of the shortages we are already facing.
3. Nurses in aged care are paid less than nurses in public hospitals. This must be fixed if we want to recruit and retain enough nurses to provide adequate care in aged care now and into the future.
4. The wages gap continues to grow. The wages gap between aged care nurses and nurses in public hospitals has doubled over the past decade, from $84 a week in 2002 to over $168 on average today.
5. Quality care of residents must be at the centre of any reform. Any review of aged care must include a significant funding injection to ensure that quality care is at the centre of aged care, and must allow providers to attract nurses to aged care by lifting wages.
6. There is no funding increase guaranteed in budget 2012. Budget 2012 MUST be the Aged Care Budget. If the Federal Government waits any longer to fix aged care, the situation will become even worse and residents will suffer.
7. Additional tied funding will be delivered through enterprise bargaining. This would deliver wage increases directly to workers, and maintain workplace flexibility. It would ensure that good providers who bargain will be given additional funding by the Government to close the wages gap.

How you can help:

• Email the Prime Minister that Aged Care Can’t Wait.
• Download the Aged Care Can’t Wait leaflet.
• Hold a workplace meeting and get the support of your workmates, residents and family members. The Aged Care Can’t Wait leaflet will help you.
• Read the full Aged Care Can’t Wait Report the ANF has sent to every member of the Federal Government.

What action will you take? Have you emailed the PM?

Image credit: ANF

Don’t forget to enter our Nurse Uncut 2nd year anniversary contest to win $500 from ME Bank!

The NSW Nurses’ Association will today continue seeking the support of NSW federal parliamentarians and other community leaders for its national campaign to deliver quality aged care for older Australians.

The NSWNA, which is the NSW branch of the Australian Nursing Federation, is meeting with NSW MPs and community leaders over the next few weeks, seeking pledges for the NSWNA’s and ANF’s ‘Because We Care’ campaign. NSW ALP senator, Doug Cameron, was the first NSW federal MP to pledge his support, at a meeting at his Springwood electorate office on 29 June 2011.

‘Because We Care’ aims to ensure the Gillard Government urgently reforms aged care in this term of Federal Parliament, including:

• The right mix of staff and skills;
• Wages comparable with public sector nurses;
• More funding tied to wages and staffing, and
• A focus on quality care

NSWNA general secretary, Brett Holmes, congratulated Mr Thomson for meeting with nurses to discuss this important issue.

“We look forward to him signing the pledge this afternoon and we welcome this support for older Australians receiving the quality care they deserve,” Mr Holmes said.

The recently released, independent Bentley Report shows that a Registered Nurse (RN) was delivering, on average, just 22 minutes of care per day per resident of a nursing home.

The amount of time each resident receives in nursing care has fallen 20 per cent in the past four years.

The ANF recently handed over a 26,000 signature petition to the Productivity Commission, demanding that the Federal Government fix the aged care system.

What are your major concerns about the aged care system?

Image credit:NSWNA

Don’t forget to enter our Nurse Uncut 2nd year anniversary contest to win $500 from ME Bank!

The Australian Nursing Federation has been given the opportunity to present its final submission on the Caring for Older Australians, Productivity Commission Draft Report.

The Australian Nursing Federation broadly supports many of the recommendations in the draft report, and this submission provides our feedback on those issues, as well as recommendations in 10 key areas, the first three being:

1. Providing an industrial mechanism to fix the wages gap (which will assist with recruitment and retention of workers to this industry); and boost levels of service delivery;
2. The implementation of a skills mix and staffing level tool (including a preamble on why the need for nursing in aged care);
3. A national system of licencing of assistants in nursing in aged care, ensuring the protection of residents and consumers; and seven others.

ANF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas and ANF Assistant Federal Secretary Yvonne Chaperon speaking with the media out the front of the Productivity Commission hearing.

When the draft report came out one of the major flaws was the scant regard to competitive wages. Wage disparity has led to a staffing crisis. Ignoring this issue means the problem of attracting nurses and assistants in nursing to aged care will continue long into the future.

How to close the wages gap

The ANF believes that the Productivity Commission draft report recognises the issues associated with the adequacy of the aged care workforce and the levels of pay and working conditions. However it fails to set out any clear direction on how to remedy this problem in the near future.

ANF believes that the provision of competitive wages needs to be made available by way of a transparent and enforceable industrial instrument.

“The wages gap for all occupations in aged care, whether residential or community is significant. That is obviously not only an issue of fairness and equity for those who work in this incredibly important sector, but it’s also an issue of being able to recruit and retain the adequately trained workers we need to provide the quality care that we expect older Australians to receive.
Continuity of care, fairness and the capacity to recruit and retain an adequate workforce are all wound up very clearly with this question of wages,” Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Ageing said

ANF recommends industrial mechanism to fix the wages gap.

The ANF supports a pricing and funding structure that allows aged care employers to compete for labour for nurses and other care staff.

An ability to offer and maintain remuneration levels is fundamental to competing in the labour market. Competitive wages would assist in the recruitment and retention of staff thereby providing for a more stable and committed workforce, a workforce which could better collaborate with providers in support of changes that would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the sector.

ANF views competitive wages as wages comparable to those payable to similar workers in the public and private hospitals sectors.

The ANF proposes that the industry confer to develop a national industrial framework which would commit the parties to support industry wide efficiencies and other changes that would improve resident care and service delivery.

The national industrial framework would specify the wages to be paid to nurses and other care staff with such wage rates to be expressed in enterprise agreements between providers, nurses and care staff.

What do you think of the recommendations?

In next weeks blog we will discuss ANF recommendations for the implementation of a skills mix and staffing level tool.

Image credit: Australian Nursing Federation.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our Nurse Uncut newsletter