The aged care royal commission will hold a hearing next month dedicated to the responses by the aged care sector to COVID-19 and the effect of those responses services.
The hearing, which will be held from August 10-13, was first foreshadowed by Commissioners in May 2020 when they announced the commencement of an investigation to help them understand the impact of the pandemic on older Australians living in aged care facilities or receiving home care, and on their families and their carers.
Commissioners and staff of the royal commission are monitoring closely the outbreak in Victoria and, in particular, how it affects people receiving aged care services and their loved ones.
While the upcoming hearing will include an examination of whether there have been systemic failures and the sector's preparedness for the unfolding crisis in Australia, the focus of the hearing will not be specifically on the Victorian response to the pandemic.
A statement from the royal commissions said focussing the inquiry on Victoria would "unnecessarily distract the State, affected aged care providers, and those working within affected aged care services and in aged care across Victoria more generally. Importantly, such a focus would cause unnecessary additional stress and distress for those grieving the loss of loved ones and those concerned for the wellbeing of others."
The hearing will focus on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in aged care, and what can be learned from this experience for responding to future pandemics, infectious disease outbreaks or other emergencies.
The royal commission expects to learn from how residential aged care facilities including Newmarch House, Dorothy Henderson Lodge and Opal Care Bankstown responded to the crisis, and what more could have been done to support them.
Among the issues which will be considered are:
- the role and responsibilities of State, Territory and Federal governments in responding to such crises in aged care services
- what should be done and by whom in the future to support the aged care sector to respond to pandemics, infectious disease outbreaks or other emergencies
- the balance between managing risks posed by a future pandemic or infectious disease outbreak and maintaining the overall health and wellbeing of aged care recipients including their mental health and quality of life
- the measures taken by the health and aged care sectors to respond to the pandemic including transporting infected residents to hospital
- the impact of those measures on older Australians receiving aged care services, their families and their carers
- challenges faced by the aged care sector including those relating to management, workforce and access to personal protective equipment
- any other related matters.
The statement said the purpose of the inquiry was not to find fault or apportion blame.
The hearing will be conducted virtually. Attendance at the hearing will be closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing will be accessible through live video streaming on the commission's website. Transcripts will also be made available of the proceedings.
The witness list for the hearing will be made available on the Royal Commission website ahead of the hearing.
Eileen Wood
I'm a senior news journalist at The Senior newspaper, the leading publication bringing targeted news on issues affecting older Australians. We cover NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, SA and WA. If you have a story idea I would love to hear it. You can email me: eileen.wood@thesenior.com.au or phone The Senior 02-4355-5000, mob. 0487 495 805
I'm a senior news journalist at The Senior newspaper, the leading publication bringing targeted news on issues affecting older Australians. We cover NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, SA and WA. If you have a story idea I would love to hear it. You can email me: eileen.wood@thesenior.com.au or phone The Senior 02-4355-5000, mob. 0487 495 805
