Lest the government forget ageing veterans
Claims that nursing homes are rationing incontinence aids suggest the federal government is failing returned servicemen, national veterans’ groups say. The allegations, made by the Partners of Veterans Association (PVA), revealed yesterday (Thursday 7 July 2011) veterans around the country were being forced to sit in their own filth.
Claims that nursing homes are rationing incontinence aids suggest the federal government is failing returned servicemen, national veterans’ groups say.
The allegations, made by the Partners of Veterans Association (PVA), revealed yesterday (Thursday 7 July 2011) veterans around the country were being forced to sit in their own filth.
The concerns arose after reviewing PVA’s case studies of some aged care facilities over the past year.
Studies found there was inadequate nursing care and rationing of essential items such as mobility and incontinence aids in some aged care facilities.
PVA described it as an “Australia-wide” problem, with high-care patients the “worst affected”.
However, the group maintained aged care facilities were not to blame, instead blaming the government’s costs cuttings for failing its ageing veterans.
According to PVA, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs provides additional payments to care facilities for high-care patients, but there are no checks or balances to ensure the money is correctly spent.
Vietnam Veterans Federation of Australia spokesman, Graham Walker, said he was horrified at the claims.
Mr Walker accused the department of failing in its duty to returned servicemen.
“The Department of Veterans Affairs, though paying all this money and though having an agreement (with the Department of Health and Ageing), actually doesn’t have a clue about whether the services are being delivered to individual veterans,” he said.
“If they don’t know whether the Department of Health is actually delivering these services, well, they simply in our view are reneging on their responsibilities.”
What action do you think the government needs to take to protect our ageing veterans residing in aged care facilities?
