Accreditation

[Tookie]

Aged care and Accreditation

How many of you are facing accreditation in the next few months. (This is the aged care accreditation that l am talking about) - I know that they put this process in to try and make it less police like and to ensure that all the standards are met - but l truly believe that this is a process that is driving many people out of the aged care industry.

Not only do we have very underpaid staff all throughout our system, but the amount of stress that this process is placing on the management level in the system is seeing the end of their commitment and their ability to provide a caring service and an ongoing support to their staff.

I could go on about documentation, the number of legalities that impact on our system to loss of staff to other areas and various thoughts that simply create stress and anger. The anger is directed at the people who can't see that we cant provide this wonderful service they expect on the pitiful amount of money that the funding system attracts.

If and when you get your funding levels up through your documentation - then the documentation police come in and take it away -

Sorry if a sound frustrated just realized l have to go back to work tomorrow - don't get me wrong l love work - just that we are getting closer to having our accreditation visit in march - I have heaps of work that l will have to get done before they come.

Tookie

[zdatny]

Sandra,

I understand your frustration, and empathise with you. The process you're talking about has ripped millions out of the budget of Aged Care Facilities. All these new administrative standards create a new level of bureauocracy, which eats up a budget that never reaches the floor. The outcomes rarely mean a better quality of life for the residents

Regards,

Bruce

[Tookie]

Bruce - I hear you

What can we do

I have suggested to staff about lobbying MPs - but thats almost no good these days

I must say l am really not looking forward to the next round - which l might add has been moved up.

A local NUrsing home near us (60 beds) had their first visit in May 2000 - they had their most recent 3 year accrediatation visit in Dec 2002 - OK we all know we have to pay for the right to be visited (big money when it should be spent on the employment of extra staff - this is all government legisitaltion) - My question was - did they get a refund on the 6 month early visit (does this make sense- it is getting late)

Any way at the meoment the whole thing peeves me extremely

what l am trying to say is that they p*** me off.

Tookie

[Aussienurse2]

At one of the places I used to work at I thought " Yay, now maybe they'll have to do something" But no...did they look at the care plans and say " How can one person do forty assit( partial or full on that shift?", " Why are nursing staff working in the kitchens with no food handling or cooking experiance?", "Why are they not proving training and updates on the Age Care Health Reforms?" and many other things....they passed and the clients still get the same substandard care and the untrained staff still work under the hospitality union guidlines not the nurses award......and I don't work there anymore. It's a load of old tripe, all words and no action, just loads of paperwork.

[Tookie]

I am so stressed about this whole process - we are 5 weeks way - ahve so much work to do - again this forces up to forget where the real focus should be in ------- The residents

[Mister Chris, MSN, NP]

Yes I agree too much paper and not enough hands on!

Like the quote the "Police". Confrunted one the other day and they admitted that they had never been a nurse or had any nurse training. Also still trying to work out what are they doing "checking us nurses" via the paperwork and looking over our shoulder when we actually get to do some 'hands-on'.

I believe we should have some form of 'checking', but lets have it done by our peers.

Good luck with your next accreditation.

(I wonder if any of those examiners are reading these messages? :uhoh21: )