Tas aged care turns paraplegic away from care
The case of a paraplegic woman rejected by aged care homes is a reflection of the sector going broke, says Aged and Community Services Tasmania president, Susan Parr. She said several nursing homes may close in the next six months.
The family of the disabled woman, who has been in hospital for 14 months, has been told by several nursing homes she could not be cared for, due to her care needs.
The hospital has told her to go home, even though she requires three hours of nursing each day.
“A (nursing) home is funded about one-eighth that of a hospital and our staffing reflects that,” Ms Parr said.
She said the homes probably made a decision not to accept the patient because they could not provide her with a safe environment.
“We’re increasingly relying on people who are skilled carers but we simply cannot afford the level of nursing hours required by some people,” she said.
