Aged care peak bodies and operators 'incensed' at suggestions residents being locked up
IGNORING THE FEDS: Aged Care Deloraine CEO Charlie Emmerton says he is following the guidelines for visits which have been put out by Tasmania, which are different from the federal ones.
Two aged care operators on the North-West Coast are 'incensed' with recent remarks from the Prime Minister Scott Morrison that suggested facilities were locking people in their rooms during the pandemic.
Aged Care Deloraine CEO Charlie Emmerton said about 900 aged care operators were on a webinar late last week, and there was a lot of anger about the suggestion they were mistreating residents.
"The (federal government) has had one or two or a handful of complaints and they are reacting as though it was everybody," he said.
"The chat coming through after the webinar was livid and hostile up to a point," he said.
"We will ignore what the federal government is doing.
"I will follow what the state government is telling us to do, and we will follow that to the letter, with great compassion.
"We have put more staff on for extra activities. And we are allowing families to come in if we see signs of despair, depression or anxiety."
Mr Emmerton said aged care homes followed the state government guidelines.
"What the Prime Minister says under an infection outbreak has no bearing in Tasmania. The state's Director of Public Health has the authority."
He said all the staff were carefully watching residents' moods so they could act if they saw changes.
We will ignore what the federal government is doing. We will follow what the state government is telling us to do, and we will follow that to the letter, with great compassion
Aged Care Deloraine CEO Charlie Emmerton
"I want to open the home up so people can have their family and friends, but we have to balance that with what happens if the virus gets in."
Smithton's Emmerton Park Aged Care CEO Ian Adams agreed.
Mr Adams said the Tasmanian Public Health Director required providers to stop visitors coming into a facility, with some exemptions, such as for palliative care support, or to visit to support a resident who was confused or suffering.
"When we have the feds telling the community a different set of rules, it puts us in a no-win situation.
"We don't want messages put out there that are going to confuse people and causing more distress than there already is."
KEEING RESIDENTS SAFE: Emmerton Park CEO Ian Adams says his home is putting on more activities for residents, and is communicating regularly with family and friends through social media.
According to the sector's seven peak bodies, members told the federal government representatives on the webinar it was incorrect to say the sector was keeping residents under lock and key.
"It does a disservice to the hundreds of thousands of dedicated aged care staff - working on the frontline and putting their own health at risk - as they work tirelessly to keep residents safe and happy.
"There are widespread communications with families, visits at a distance and extensive social media connections."
The sector said it wanted the federal government to confirm that in some cases extra restrictions were needed for public health and resident safety.