The number of Victorian aged care homes with active coronavirus cases has risen sharply, with outbreaks in the state’s facilities growing from seven to 296 since late December, data shows COVID19Vic
Some aged care residents have been forced to go without showers and meals and have had their wounds left undressed as Victoria’s nursing homes face unprecedented staff absenteeism due to the Omicron outbreak.
The union representing workers, resident advocates and aged care providers warns this has resulted in poorer standards of care, with reports that residents are being showered less often, food is arriving less frequently, wounds are not being frequently dressed and soiled incontinence pads are going unchanged.
Leading Age Services Australia chief executive Sean Rooney said the size and scale of the outbreak made it difficult for the federal government to keep up with demand for resources, but it was still “unacceptable” that those working on the frontlines were not adequately resourced. On Friday, Maria, who is a diabetic, was rushed to hospital by ambulance and doctors later diagnosed her with a serious infection and high blood-sugar levels.
A federal Health Department spokesman said where there is an outbreak, the department works with vaccine providers to prioritise affected care homes. PPE and rapid antigen tests were not made available when outbreaks were occurring, but supply had started to improve this week, he said. Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck has said the government’s plan to deliver booster shots to all aged care homes has been delayed.Federal Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck told the heads of the sector in a briefing on Thursday that this would be delayed by a week, and that the booster uptake among aged care residents was about 80 per cent, according to people in the briefing.
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