The Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC) says that the Army can still play an important role in helping aged care staff on the ground during the current Omicron wave, despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s assertion earlier this week that the ADF is not the solution to the workforce crisis in the aged care sector.
“It is just part of the solution and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has experience of working with the present of COVID-19,” said Paul Sadler, CEO of the peak body for Not For Profit aged care providers Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), on behalf of the AACC.
Peaks and unions want more support for sector
With severe staffing shortages in areas of high infection of COVID-19, as The Weekly SOURCE reported earlier this week, the AACC, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation, Health Services Union, United Workers Union and Australian Workers Union are seeking:
- immediate ADF support where requested;
- a COVID-19 payment for all staff; and
- resolution of ongoing issues regarding access to Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) supplies.
But an unsympathetic Mr Morrison, as The Weekly SOURCE reported yesterday, said the ADF is “not a surrogate aged care workforce”.
“They can’t just make those [workforce]problems go away,” he said. “They will continue to be challenges in aged care. That is a problem of the virus. And it’s a problem that has been seen in many jurisdictions.”
However, Mr Morrison in his Christmas message to the ADF said: “there are some 1,500 ADF personnel spread across the country as part of Operation COVID-19 assist. And throughout the pandemic, more than 6,500 servicemen and women had delivered vital care and support to all states and territories.”
ADF easier to deploy than volunteers
Paul said the COVID-19 experience of using the ADF to provide vaccines and assist staff had prevented far fewer logistical problems than using emergency volunteer support, which has been discussed with the Federal Government.
“Volunteers do not have PPE and would need RAT, both of which are in short supply. Using the ADF, in critical situations, is part of the solution.”
Mr Sadler said the Prime Minister’s announcement on Wednesday that the Federal Government would be rebating the visa fees for around 150,000 overseas students, and would want those who are working and being trained in health care and aged care to fill job vacancies, was welcome.
But again, this is only being seen as a temporary solution that will assist some providers.
“This is a small step forward and will be beneficial to those aged care providers who are near universities in the cities and rural areas,” said Paul.
It is clear that a longer-term solution will also be required to ensure our Mums and Dads living in residential care have consistent, quality care – with a Federal election expected in May, can both sides of politics come to the table to guarantee the sector never faces this kind of staffing emergency again?
