Thank you to everyone who cares

The dedicated and committed people who work in the aged care sector inspire me every day.

We began to see the first Omicron cases in aged care just before Christmas, following the opening of the South Australian border in late November. As the number of cases in the community increased, so did the cases in aged care homes and community services.

Aged care workers continued to come to work every day. In residential aged care settings, they are dressed in full personal protective equipment and particulate filter resistant masks. Every day, staff would arrive at a workplace where they knew COVID-19 was present, much like a nurse in the COVID-19 ward of a hospital.

Community aged care workers needed to be vigilant before entering client’s homes. They had to ensure that there were no people with COVID-19 symptoms in the house, and wear PPE while completing their work if there was any concern about COVID-19 exposure.

Staff in residential aged care homes must now complete a regular rapid antigen test to ensure the safety of residents. Each time there is a reported case of COVID-19 in a staff member or resident, they need to assume the role of contact tracers to determine the source.

Aged care has changed significantly in the last two years. While the general public are encouraged to have their influenza and COVID-19 vaccination, each dose has been legislated for aged care workers. For the third COVID-19 booster, workers were given only three weeks to be compliant.

Even entering an aged care home has changed. Visitors need to be screened to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Emergency Direction. In Residential Aged Care there has been 47 changes to these directions in less than two years.

It must be heartbreaking then to regularly read reports of the ‘aged care crisis’. Talk to any person working in aged care and it is the interaction with older people that gives them the most joy. They come to work each day because they care about the wellbeing of older people and are making a tangible difference to their lives.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the staff working in aged care for the important contribution that they make and for meeting the challenges of the last two years.

The response of aged care workers to the pandemic has been quite extraordinary.

Their tireless efforts to keep aged care residents and clients safe, while maintaining the quality and safety of care should be an inspiration to all. Thank you.

Opinion piece by Darren Birbeck
Chief Executive Officer
Resthaven Incorporated