Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie spoke with COTA NT CEO Sue Shearer about aged care audits

Transcript

Katie spoke with COTA NT CEO Sue Shearer about aged care audits · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And joining me live in the studio is Sue Shira,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: the CEO of the Council of the Aging here in
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Good morning to you, Sue.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. I wish I was here under better circumstances.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Really well, yeah, so we are going to talk. We're
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: going to talk about obviously the findings of an order
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: which have been released into an age care facility here
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: in Darwinin. Before I get to that, can I just
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: ask you very quickly have you had much of an
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: opportunity to hear what the Chief Minister has said this
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: morning in relation to our borders, the testing regime and
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: how it's all going to work when it comes to COVID.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: I have, and I think it's a really good start.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: I think it's probably maybe a little bit over the
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: top with the testing. But then again, talking to people
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: this morning, and because we have an ext registered nurse
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: as our age care navigator and the particular networks he
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: has and people in the health system and the borders
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: open are very worried. The people at the front line
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: are worried. So I think, you know, obviously this might
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: appease them a little bit, but we forget that the
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: people who are going to look after the people with
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: COVID are they're very worried.
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Well, that's one of the big concerns and has always been,
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: is whether our health system is going to be able
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: to to withstand COVID being in the community. Hopefully, once
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: we reach those high vaccination rates, though, the risk of
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: hospitalization will minimize to some degree.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: It will exactly, but I think it's a very good start.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: I'm quarantining, but which I hope to do in January
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: after coming back from Sydney seeing my mum yep, first
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: time I've seen her this year, which you'll be rather wonderful.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: She'll be ninety nine, so hopefully I'll be there for
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: that birthday. So that sort of thing is really good.
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: I'm not looking forward to the Hopefully you won't have
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: to have seven tests by then. Yeah, well that's right.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: It is an awful lot. Now, so we know that
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: this report has revealed significant breaches of care and quality
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: standards at a Darwin nursing home, including incidents of residents
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: being harassed and inadequate care result in a choking death.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: So you must be quite mortified by some of the
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: findings in this report.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: I'm just absolutely I'll find them abhorrent, horrific. And as
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: we know, a lot of all our older people have
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: done their dues, paid their dues, they have nurtured us,
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: and if we can't look after them, there's something really
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: really wrong with our system. But I am the one
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: good thing about this that it was spotted, and that's
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: what we lobbied for right back before the Royal Commission
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: even started. So it took a while for these spot orders.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: You know yourself. People ring up yep and they say
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: I'm visiting you next week. Automatically things get fixed, and
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: that's what we didn't want. We heard those stories before.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: So these spot checks one good thing. They were found.
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: But unfortunately, you know, probably a little bit too late
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: in one way. I mean, we have reported quite a
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: few providers, and we've also reported providers that obviously do
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: the home care residential age packages in the home, and
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: we'd like spot checks there as well. We'd like inspectors
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: to turn up to provide them. So we're coming out
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: with you today. That's the next step, and we've lobbied
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: long and hard for that, so hopefully they will listen.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: But the only really peace of mind we can give
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: to families in there is that from now on that
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: particular provider will be under the highest scrutiny scrutiny and yes, yeah,
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: they'll be ordered and checked a lot.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: And so we do know that this is all part
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: of a report that the federal government's Age Care Quality
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: and Safety Commission has found that national age care providers.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: So this is actually you know, Regious Age Care that
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: they breached eight quality standards at their TWI facility, which
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: as we all know, is in Darwin's northern suburbs. So
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: what are some of those findings that you know that
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: most alarmed you.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: The most alarmed me and still alarms me. I guess
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: is the lack of staff. You can't provide the proper
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: care if you haven't got the staff. And I know
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: you noticed I gave you something from twenty eighteen that
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: predicted all this already, and now you know the filal
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: government that they're being reactive. I don't know why. It
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: just beggars belief, Katie, that a lot more was done
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: right back then when the prediction of the shortage of
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: staff in that area and nursing wasn't something wasn't done
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: about it. So that's Unfortunately, it's not a desirable career.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: I don't know why really, and you can do a
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: CERT three and a SARCH for as we said that
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: there's no career path. The renumeration is absolutely appalling for
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: people looking after one of our most important sectors, so
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: that there's a whole gamut of things that need to
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: be still need to be looked at. And again even
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: in the third three and four, dementia training is an elective,
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: it's not a compulsory subject. Yet you've got people in
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: those particular facilities looking after dementsiapations, so.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: We've got to make sure that they are adequately qualified.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: You've got to make sure that they're adequately to attract
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: them well. And I suppose this is a tough thing,
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: but so some of these reports, I mean it's being
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: widely reported, you know, festering bedsaws of an elderly resident,
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: another who choked on food, and grandmother's being sexually harassed.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: I mean, this is mortifying.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: It is mortifying. And unfortunately, again when the Royal Commission
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: came out they said chemical restraints can't be used. Well
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: in this case for that particular gentleman, maybe something like
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: that should have been used. You don't know the whole story,
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: but for the safety of other residents in that facility
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: and turning. My mum's an ex nurse, so people with
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: bedstals need to be turned on a regular basis as well.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: But that requires staff or two or three staff to
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: turn somebody who's totally immobile. Again, it goes back to
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: lack of staff. Most of that goes back to lack
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: of staff and staff training. But those quality standards, they
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: were brought in in to nineteen, the new standards, so
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: they're not hard to adhere to. But again the staffing.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: So what needs to happen immediately? Do you think there
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: needs to be more of these spot checks to try
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: and avoid you know, homes being able to age care
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: facilities being able to sort of be prepared for checks.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: They have to be really an under scrutiny to me
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: all the time. So those spot checks should be done
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: very on a regular basis. And also not just in
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: the age care sector, but in the disability sector. We
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: have had advice that there's some providers and alice who
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: aren't doing the right thing in the disability sector. So
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: that don't report. I can't say much to the reports
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: come out like tie. You know, I don't like to
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: name and shame really in one way, that's up to
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: the age care people to do that. But it's unfortunately
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: it's the industry that is grown. And we knew that.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: We knew that the over sixty five we have the
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: highest rate of over sixty five people growing in the
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: northern churches. So again, where was the proactive approach for
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: all these people from the federal government for these packages? Again,
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: so they can stay at home. They shouldn't be in
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: rolled down in hospital. They shouldn't even lot of them
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: shouldn't have been in age care facility. They should be
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: in their own homes.
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: So on that, we know that the Health Minister did
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: announce that there is going to be more age beds
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: coming online. My understanding of that is that it's actually
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: some of these beads coming back online at regions. Are
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: you satisfied with that?
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: Not completely, to be really honest, not completely, Or they'd
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: have to build up a lot of trust. Somebody has
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: said to me, oh, they have to build up the confidence.
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: I said, not really, it's trust. It's trust that people
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: will put their loved one in that home. But again, unfortunately,
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: there's probably not a lot of choice, and that's why
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: we want particular people who are issued a bit like
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: the NDI is they're issued with the package, they're issued
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: with the bed and they can pick which bed they
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: want to go to, which facility they want their bed in,
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: rather than oh there's a vacancy here, you have to
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: go there. That's not on. So that's another thing that
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: we're pushing really really hard for what should be a
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: consumer choice.
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: We are running out of time, but so is there like,
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: have we got an opportunity here or should there be
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: an opportunity for those who are able to stay at
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: home but do need a regular you know, regularly someone
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: coming to check on them. Should there be more of
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: that opportunity for some territories.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: We are weighing as thirty thousand packages should be released
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: Australia wide and there's four hundred four hundred territorians waiting
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: for their packages. So yes, I mean that's where the
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: federal government should play their part. They put eight billion
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: into age care packages at home, but eight billion needs
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: every it's a shortage and it's just horrific. Again, and
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: this is what is creating a lot of these problems
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: in our hospital that they I've known people too waiting
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: two years for Level four package and they've ended up
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: in hospital. So no, there needs to be I know
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: they're probably very busy with COVID in camera, but life
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: still goes on. So let's really look at the age
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: care packages. It is happening Australia White, but in the
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: church as well, and just release the funding for the packages.
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: So four hundred territories right now are waiting for those packages.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: It's a large number.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: It's a very large number. So imagine if they get
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: a little bit sicker, where will they go?
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: Well, that's exactly right. They'll end up at the hospital.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: I'll end up taking a bid and you know, and
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: we need to make sure that we're caring for them.
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: But if they're able to actually be at home and
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: be cared for, surely that would be an ideal scenario.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: And we did a survey a while ago, again in
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: the church, but Australia White and everybody would like to
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: stay home in familiar, familiar surroundings where their family can
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: either look after them or visit them. But then get
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: obviously help with the Level one package, which they get
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: domestic chores done for them and then obviously go up
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: to level two, level three, level four which is the highest.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: So it is imperative that the federal government has been
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: underfunded since it came into existence, so really do have
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: to look at funding for those packages well.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: Su Shira, the CEO of Council of the Aging here
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory, always appreciate your time.
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: Thanks for coming on pleasure Katie, thanks for having me.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: Thank you