AMA submission to the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce – the aged care workforce strategy

In this submission, the AMA argued that the aged care workforce does not have the capability, capacity and connectedness needed to provide quality care to older people. Australia has an ageing population that has multiple chronic and complex medical conditions, but older people face major barriers in accessing appropriate and timely medical care. Medical practitioners must be supported by the government and aged care providers to enhance and facilitate much needed access to medical care for people living in residential aged care facilities.  Aged care providers need to be supported to ensure access to an appropriate quantity of well-trained staff (including through the introduction of a registered nurse to resident ratio), who work in a rewarding environment with a manageable workload. This would ensure older people’s care is not neglected due to shortages of appropriate staff. An Aged Care Commission should be introduced to streamline the aged care system, and should include a role that ensures there is an adequate supply of appropriate, well-trained staff to meet the demand of holistic care to a multicultural, ageing population, and also to ensure the aged care workforce has clear roles and responsibilities.