Union members at Estia Bankstown have successfully forced management to back down over a proposal to reallocate AiNs across the site.
The move was widely criticised by staff who stated in an open letter to management that the reallocation would negatively impact the provision of care and was not in the best interests of residents, their families or staff.
In the letter, staff noted the important role of consistency when providing dedicated care for older residents, many of whom suffer from dementia.
The aged care staff highlighted: “As the ones on the floor we do believe we see a lot more and we know what is best for our residents and that is not to be moved allocations. This is a concern with quality and continuity of care and the risk of unnecessarily heightening the residents’ stress levels and making them feel uncomfortable. Residents like familiarity and depend on routine.”
The letter was signed by a majority of NSWNMA members at the Estia site and presented to management, calling on them to abandon the reallocation proposal and find alternative solutions to deal with understaffing concerns.
Following representations from the NSWNMA, management at Estia Bankstown agreed to cease the proposal due to the members actions.
Estia management have now agreed to consult with staff to address their concerns.
NSWNMA members at Estia stood together to protect their working conditions and were able to achieve a positive outcome.