Ms Kurec, the President of the Australian Nursing Federation (Victorian Branch) Special Interest Group, was part of a delegation of 20 aged care nurses, residents and ANF elected officials from across Australia visiting Parliament House last Tuesday to discuss the crisis in aged care nursing in the lead up to the May Budget.
Ms Kurec has been an aged care nurse for 20 years and works in a 250-place not-for-profit aged care facility in Ferntree Gully. She presented Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot and her parliamentary colleagues with a photo album of her facility's residents, their families and the nursing and personal care staff to show the human face of the industry.
"I wanted them to know that while I work in a well-run facility, I believe that current funding does not reflect the true cost of caring for elderly residents with complex care needs, that minimum staffing levels have to be introduced with the right mix of registered nurses and care staff, that care staff be properly trained and registered as professionals and that those working in aged care deserve fairer pay which is on par with other areas of the health sector," Ms Kurec said.
Australian Nursing Federation (Victorian Branch) Assistant Secretary Yvonne Chaperon, who was also part of the delegation, said: "The number of registered nurses, particularly division one registered nurses, has dramatically declined over the past decade and we can't pretend this hasn't had an impact on the care of elderly people living in aged care facilities.
"Seventy per cent of aged care residents now require high levels of care compared to 58 per cent of residents a decade ago - we are expecting more complex levels of nursing care for more residents from fewer nurses who are paid $300 less per week than hospital nurses," Ms Chaperon said.
"The Federal Government's projection that there will be 1.8 million people aged 85 plus by 2050 will mean residents in this age group will increase from just over 87,000 today to more than 400,000. The Federal Government has to significantly increase the aged care budget for nursing so providers can employ a ratio of one nurse for every seven residents, pay them competitive wages and start building a sustainable workforce for current and future needs," Ms Chaperon said.
The Canberra visit was part of the because we care community campaign which aims to:
- address the steady decline in registered nurses employed in aged care
- establish mandated nurse resident ratios to ensure safe quality care for residents
- increase aged care nurses' wages. Aged care nurses earn about $300 less each week than hospital nurses
- guarantee taxpayer funding is used for nursing and personal care for each resident.
