Quality aged care at risk if ratios legislated
Victoria’s body representing the providers of aged and community care has expressed serious concern regarding the state’s Labor Opposition’s announcement that, if elected, it will introduce new legislation enforcing nurse/patient ratios on the industry.
Ingrid Williams, LASA Victoria president, claims nurse/patient ratios are an inefficient and crude measure which is neither sensitive to aged care resident acuity nor quality outcomes.
Ingrid Williams, Leading Age Services Australia – Victoria (LASA Victoria) president, says nurse/patient ratios are an “inefficient and crude measure which is neither sensitive to aged care resident acuity nor quality outcomes”.
“Legislating what are essentially industrially mandated staff ratios that only exist in the Victorian public sector, would be an ill considered and retrograde step severely impacting the sustainability of an already stretched industry,” Ms Williams says.
As stated by the Victorian Department of Health in their 2010 report ‘Innovative workforce responses to a changing aged care environment’, there is no conclusive evidence that ratios provide a sustainable and appropriate staffing methodology.
“The report also states that ratios are a very blunt instrument and improving care outcomes of residents and staff satisfaction requires more sophisticated decision making,” she says.
Ms Williams says Victorian aged care providers are committed to ensuring that staffing levels are appropriate to deliver the quality care expected of residents and their families.
“What is often misunderstood is that aged care Australia operates under one of the most stringent accreditation systems in the world, which includes an extensive program of unannounced visits by the Australian Accreditation Agency to ensure facilities are compliant with all 44 accreditation outcomes. No industry is more heavily regulated than aged care,” she says.
LASA Victoria supports an approach that seeks to organise the aged care workforce in an efficient, flexible and sustainable manner in order to provide quality care outcomes for all older Victorians.
“It is distressing to see the debate around the quality of care for our older Victorians being linked to arbitrary industrial outcomes.
“What is required is a less emotive, more evidence and patient outcome based assessment of workforce needs, delivered by sustainable multi-disciplinary teams.”
LASA Victoria encourages all political parties to avoid populist electioneering and adopt a mature approach to supporting the viability of Victorian age services providers, as outlined in the LASA Victoria 2014 State Election Blueprint.
