Flinders University: SOAD2007 Report on Aged Care Staffing Issues

This report, prepared for the Minister of Health in Australia, addresses the critical shortage of skilled staff in aged care facilities. It highlights the predicted shortfall of care workers by 2023, the concerns of medical professionals, and the ethical implications of inadequate staffing. The report details the background of the issue, including why skilled professionals prefer other sectors, and the increasing demand for elderly care. Recommendations include increasing salaries, launching public awareness campaigns, and establishing more government medical schools to recruit professionals directly into the sector. The report emphasizes the urgent need for action to ensure adequate care for the elderly population.

SOAD2007:Social Policy Practice
To:Greg Hunt, Minister of Health, Australia
From: [insert your name]
RE THE NEED FOR MORE SKILLED STAFFS IN AGED CARE FACILITIES
PURPOSE
 To provide information on lack of skilled staffs being a major issue in aged care
facilities in Australia, and to provide recommendations pertaining to the same.
CRITICAL DEADLINE (S)
31/12/2019 [The critical deadline has been chosen because the issue is widespread and
poses serious threats to the lives of the elderly people. It must be made sure that by the end
of the year, the country has enough skilled staffs in the aged care facilities, to reduce the
mortality rates of the elderly people in the aged care facilities.]
SUMMARY OF ISSUES
 Considering the current statistics, ASCA has predicted that by 2023, there will be an
outstanding need for 55,770 full time care workers in the aged care sector in Australia
(NSW Gov., 2019)
 The Australian Ageing Agenda reported that doctors claim that lack of nurses is the
single most major issue which the aged care facilities in the country face (Hughes,
Bigby & Tilbury, 2018).
 The availability of the trained nurses and medical professionals in the sector is only
67% (Hughes, Bigby & Tilbury, 2018).
 The risks are high since the unavailability of the nurses poses threats to a significant
number of the aged persons being unattended at times of medical urgencies.
 This is violation of ethics, since it implies that chances of high mortality rates exist in
the sector, simply because of lack of skilled professionals in the sector, which could be
attributed to lack of negligence from the government (ABC News, 2019).
 The existing aged care labor force does not have the competence, ability and
connectedness to passably meet the requirements of elderly people. (Hughes, Bigby &
Tilbury, 2018)
BACKGROUND
 The main reason for the issue is that most of the professionals after graduating from
medical colleges, prefer to join commercial institutions than aged care settings
(Radford, K., Shacklock, & Bradley, 2015).
 Contrary to decreasing rates of skilled professionals in the sector, the rate of elderly
people requiring assistance in their daily activities has quadrupled in the last decade,
despite which, the government has done little to look into the matter of issues (Cheers,
2019).
 What should be noted is the fact that having a set of skilled medical professionals in
the sector, and availing their social contribution in the same, would help elderly people
to live a healthy life.
ATTACHMENT(S)

SOAD2007:Social Policy Practice
Reference list:
Cheers, B. (2019). Welfare bushed: Social care in rural Australia. Routledge.
Hughes, M., Bigby, C., & Tilbury, C. (2018). Australian social work research on ageing and
aged care: A scoping review. Journal of Social Work, 18(4), 431-450.
NSW GOV. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/other/9768/Issues%20facing%20aged
%20care%20services%20in%20rural%20and%20remote%20Australia.pdf
Radford, K., Shacklock, K., & Bradley, G. (2015). Personal care workers in Australian aged
care: retention and turnover intentions. Journal of nursing management, 23(5), 557-
566.
We have an expiry date in our society, but it's not the day we die. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/aged-care-failures-show-how-little-we-
value-elderly/10303224
ADVICE FROM OTHERS
NGO’s consulted:
COTA Australia
Benetas
Caxton Legal Centre Inc.
FUNDING COMMENT
 The funding required to persuade skilled professionals to join aged care facilities
throughout the country, should be approximately 10 million AUD to start with.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
 The government should increase the salaries of skilled professionals in the sector, to
ensure that they do take up jobs in the sector.
 A campaign should be initiated by the government,
informing the public about the necessity for skilled
professionals in the sector.
 More government medical schools should be
opened up, recruiting professionals directly in the
sector.
Authorised by:
[Insert your signature]
Signature block [student number, topic code, course
enrolled in, university]
DD / MM /2018
SEEN/APPROVED
Minister: Greg Hunt, Ministry of
Health, Australia.
Date:

SOAD2007:Social Policy Practice

SOAD2007:Social Policy Practice
REFERENCES
Cheers, B. (2019). Welfare bushed: Social care in rural Australia. Routledge.
Hughes, M., Bigby, C., & Tilbury, C. (2018). Australian social work research on ageing and
aged care: A scoping review. Journal of Social Work, 18(4), 431-450.
NSW GOV. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/other/9768/Issues%20facing%20aged
%20care%20services%20in%20rural%20and%20remote%20Australia.pdf
Radford, K., Shacklock, K., & Bradley, G. (2015). Personal care workers in Australian aged
care: retention and turnover intentions. Journal of nursing management, 23(5), 557-
566.
We have an expiry date in our society, but it's not the day we die. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/aged-care-failures-show-how-little-we-
value-elderly/10303224