THE good, the bad and the ugly - a Central West nurse who works in aged care has encouraged anyone with an experience of this industry to contact the Royal Commission before it's too late.
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The commission into aged care is assessing the quality of care provided in residential and home aged care to senior Australians.
So far, 1704 submissions have been received by the commission since it was established last October.
A spokeswoman for the commission would not identify the source or author of any individual submissions, or whether any had been received about or from Central West facilities.
And while the commission has sought information from selected providers, she would not confirm whether any were from the region.
There's a few male residents I've come across who think it's OK to be sexually inappropriate towards female staff.
- Central West nurse who works in aged care
"The royal commission wrote to the top 100 providers asking them to provide specific information as part of their submissions," the spokeswoman said.
"We cannot give any information about which providers have been asked to hand over information.
"The royal commission will use this information, as with all submissions received, as part of its consideration of the quality and safety of aged care."
Meanwhile, the Central West aged care nurse, who asked not to be named for fear of losing her job, recently told Australian Community Media (ACM) that she had been subject to inappropriate touching, assault, been pushed up against a wall and threatened during her eight years in the sector.
She has at times been left frightened, assaulted, scratched and scarred and claims that nothing is done my management when the abuse is reported.
"There's a few male residents I've come across who think it's OK to be sexually inappropriate towards female staff," she said.
The nurse said that to ensure a vibrant and safe aged care sector into the future that it was important the commission heard from people who had both good and bad experiences.
The royal commission wrote to the top 100 providers asking them to provide specific information as part of their submissions.
- Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety spokeswoman
She has called on staff, families and residents who have an opinion to come forward.
"They should come forward so they [the commission] can see a wider view of everything," she said.
"They need to hear not just the negative stuff, they need to see the positives as well."
The nurse also encouraged staff to come forward to tell their experiences of exactly what working in the sector was like.
"The commission needs to hear more from staff and not just families who want to complain," she said.
The Royal Commission will visit every capital city and a number of regional locations, with the next sitting in Sydney for two weeks from May 6.
Visit https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx for more information.
The royal commission will continue to accept submissions until at least the end of September 2019.
Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
