Older Australians Must Be Protected
AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that mandatory reporting of abuse of older Australians in aged care must be seriously considered at the urgent summit being convened by Minister for Ageing, Senator Santo Santoro.
Welcoming the Minister's intervention in the elder abuse scandal, Dr Haikerwal said the AMA would provide advice to the summit from its Committee on Care of Older People if invited.
"Older Australians need consistent, excellent care and protection at this time in their lives," Dr Haikerwal said.
"In any aged care environment, older Australians and their families need to know that the care provided will preserve their dignity and privacy.
"Older people do have rights, can still make their own decisions, and they deserve respect.
"Elder abuse includes physical, psychological or financial abuse or neglect - and it may be intentional or unintentional.
"It violates basic legal and human rights.
"In light of the recent incidents in Victoria, the AMA believes that mandatory reporting should be on the table, particularly to safeguard residents of aged care facilities who suffer physical or mental impairment.
"But mandatory reporting alone is not the total solution.
"Educational and other strategies on elder abuse must be incorporated into the routine training of all health workers in the aged care sector and built into the Charter of Resident Rights and accreditation arrangements.
"These protections can't be half-baked, though. They need legislation and appropriate funding because they will be expensive for the aged care sector to implement.
"All these factors must be considered at the summit.
"Because medical practitioners, especially GPs, have a pivotal role in the recognition, assessment, understanding and management of elder abuse and neglect, it is important that the AMA be part of the summit," Dr Haikerwal said.