24 October 2001

National Aged Care Phone-in - Queensland Results
Many unhappy with staffing levels and quality of care

Low staffing levels and the impact on quality of care are still the major concerns of staff and the relatives of residents of Queensland nursing homes, the Queensland Nurses' Union (QNU) said today.

The QNU was releasing the Queensland findings from the National Aged Care Phone-in held by the Australian Nursing Federation last Saturday, 20 October 2001. A total of 171 people - including 110 staff and 49 residents, relatives and friends of relatives - contacted the QNU on Saturday to provide the most up to date snapshot of the aged care industry in Queensland.

QNU Secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said the information provided by callers on Saturday backs up the findings of other, more formal, research done by the QNU into the state of residential aged care in Queensland.

"However, the phone-in has provided a very personal dimension to the issue. It takes a lot for a person to ring up and tell the types of stories they told us on Saturday. The fact that more than 170 Queenslanders saw fit to do so, sends a strong message to the Federal government that people are very worried about its aged care policies."

"It is also noteworthy that the issues of concern were the same across the State. Forty per cent of calls were from regional Queensland and 60 percent from Brisbane, but they all had similar things to say - they are very worried about the low staffing levels in nursing homes and the impact this is having on the quality of care. Other issues of concern included food quality and limited accountability for the way nursing home proprietors spend taxpayers money." Ms Hawksworth said.

Click here to see a full copy of the report on the outcomes of the phone-in in Queensland.

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20 October 2001

National Aged Care Phone-in to be held on 20 October 2001

The people of Brisbane will have an opportunity to describe their experiences of the current aged care system during a national phone-in being run by the Queensland Nurses' Union (QNU) and Australian Nursing Federation on October 20, 2001.

Date:  20 October 2001
Time:  10.00am to 3.00pm
Numbers:  3840 1444 (if in Brisbane) 1800 177 273 (from outside Brisbane)

Nurses and members of the general public are invited to call in with their experiences so a true picture of the aged care system can be obtained. All personal information will be treated confidentially.

QNU Secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said the QNU especially wanted to hear from people who work in nursing homes or aged care hostels and those with relatives or friends in residential aged care.

"We want information on such things as the quality of care provided, staffing levels, food quality, safety and quality of life for residents," Ms Hawksworth said.

"The QNU has major concerns about aged care, especially since the industry was deregulated in 1997. We already have some information on staffing cuts, problems with drug administration and heavy nursing workloads. The information provided through this phone-in will build on this and help us in our efforts to get improvements to the system."

"So anyone with a personal story to tell about aged care, no matter how insignificant they might think it is should call us on Saturday, October 20, 2001. It will certainly help make a difference for the better.

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