Soap Box
Restructuring of aged care facilities: Easing the burden on public schools
Barb Fiveash
Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing, University of Newcastle, NSW
Denise Monkley
School of Nursing Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville QLD
PP: 217 - 217
Article Text
There has been substantial debate in the newspapers and on the radio in regard to the overuse of hospital beds for the older person because of the lack of beds in aged care facilities. The discussion usually centers on the shifting of costs from the Commonwealth (who fund aged care facilities) to the State government (who fund health services). Although these discussions are relevant there is another perspective that could be explored.
Rather than looking for more funded aged care facility beds would it be possible to expand aged care facilities with greater funding arrangements. Today more than ever there are many people who are cared for at home on respirators, renal dialysis machines, and urinary catheters and the like, who are currently being cared for by their friend or relative or a carer. For some older people it may not be possible to continue caring for them at home and it becomes necessary for them to be in an aged care facility, but they may have loved ones who would dearly prefer to care for them. There could be some beds set aside for those who have friends and relatives who would like to care for them all the time.
Another section of the facility could be structured so that relatives could come in on a regular basis and care for their loved one. A similar arrangement occurs in children's wards of hospitals where nurses care for the child during part of the time and parents care for the child at other times. Such an arrangement is usually set down in a written contract. Such sections of aged care facilities would have limited staff and the older person or their loved one would provide the care that the person needed, such as showering, medications and various treatments. (There would need to be changes to the legislation in respect to the handling of medications. This policy would decrease the costs associated with living in an aged care facility because there would be a decreased need for staff (which would assist the nursing shortage) more beds would become available in general hospital to address those ever growing waiting lists.
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