Despite the federal government’s legislative reforms, Australia’s aged care sector continues to struggle with chronic understaffing, rising workplace violence and a lack of transparency over how providers are spending billions of dollars in taxpayer funding meant for resident care, a new national survey of the aged care workforce reveals.
The findings have prompted the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) to call for a range of measures to address systemic problems across the sector, including replacing care minutes with mandated staffing ratios, risk assessments and person-centred care planning to prevent and manage workplace violence and aggression, and greater transparency and accountability over the use of government aged care funding.
Conducted by the ANMF, the ‘Aged Care Pulse Check – The Real Impact of Reforms’ surveyed more than 3,550 frontline nurses and care workers. The findings uncovered three main areas of concern for registered nurses, enrolled nurses and care workers.
- Almost half (49%) of aged care workers surveyed said they don’t have enough time to deliver care, rising to almost 56% among workers at for-profit providers.
- More than 96% of workers experienced or witnessed violence and aggression in the past year, including verbal aggression, physical violence, racism and sexual harassment.
- Cost-cutting is impacting resident care, with workers reporting unfilled sick shifts, limited use of agency staff and rationing of essential supplies.
ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said the findings provided a damning assessment of the aged care sector, revealing that reforms implemented by the Albanese Government had not solved the sector’s longstanding problems.
“It’s clear that serious systemic problems still persist, including poor staffing ratios, caring for large numbers of residents with minimal staffing and support, which is impacting the ability to deliver high-quality care, with understaffing also leaving nurses and carers open to physical, verbal and emotional violence.”
