Assistant in Nursing Helen Auld invites the community to support the campaign to improve aged care.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care is due to hand down its findings in late February. The findings will include recommendations aimed at improving the state of Australia’s aged care sector.

However, the government is under no obligation to implement the recommendations. Aged care members of the NSWNMA, like me, have begun a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of issues such as safe staffing. We hope the campaign will generate the momentum needed to convince our government that voters want to see change.

In recent weeks, aged care nurses have met to kickstart a series of actions to draw publicity to the issues in the sector. Our group has been meeting fortnightly via Zoom, which has enabled us to discuss a plan of action.

So far, the members involved have campaigned to draw attention to nurse-to-resident ratios and transparency of government funding.

The next phase will involve branches holding a week of action in the lead-up to the Royal Commission findings, to raise awareness of the findings.

We are keen to include as many nurses and midwives as possible, so please sign up to the campaign if you would like to get involved: https://www.ratiosforagedcare.com.au/

The groups will continue to meet via Zoom on a fortnightly basis. It’s a great platform to network and support each other in our efforts to improve the state of aged care. We urge you to please join in!

If you are interested in getting involved, contact blewer@nswnma.asn.au