Untrained care workers putting elderly at risk
An increase in demand for home care services in Queensland has led to an abuse of a legal loophole that allows anyone to start up an aged care provider business and access Federal funding.
Guidelines are set by the Federal Government to ensure providers receiving funding hire only trained and accredited workers.
However those providers are also permitted to sub-contract less medically intensive aspects of their workload out to agencies who are not technically required to provide trained workers according to a report in the Courier Mail.
Industry figures say the agencies need only sign a form saying they are “working towards accreditation”.
In the report, retired Brisbane surgeon and University of Queensland lecturer, Dr Michael Wynne, expressed his concerns.
“The system would be an invitation to those wanting to game it for profit because of the difficulty in monitoring what services untrained staff are providing.”
The businesses require little more than public liability insurance and Workcover to begin operating.
Many clients have complex health care needs and chronic conditions that only trained care workers can adequately manage.
Over the last 10 years, Dr Wynne has expressed concern about financial exploitation within the aged care industry, making several submissions to Federal Senate inquiries.
