OPSO

Older People Speak Out (OPSO) is a non-profit organisation that aims for justice for seniors through the promotion of positive ageing in the Media.

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@jolauder @dartian1 ... here’s a trauma study for you!!

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Will Royal Commission be a waste of time given number of reports & inquiries preceding it? It’ll ultimately come down to funding into system. It’s easy to be cynical, says Qld’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum. But action is crucial.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Funding for advocacy organisations needs to rise. Need independent bodies with clear lines of reporting & accountability to report back concerns with a service. Independent visitor program needed, says Qld’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios & Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Aged Care Complaints Commissioner’s Office has. Even severely underfunded. The preferred mediation path is not appropriate for all cases. An outcome-for-the-consumer approach is needed, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

We need to see how the new Aged Care & Quality Commission. Previous body did not issue granular data, with categories not broken up, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum. This needs to change.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Deaths have occurred in aged care because of restrictive practices, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Restrictive practices are also a legal minefield for residential aged care staff, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum. There’s a link between use of restrictive practices & understaffing. Staff often untrained either.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Restrictive practices use in residential aged care need to be regulated, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum. Locked wards, physical/medication restraints, etc. to manage challenging behaviors. Research shows they don’t work.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Body of research needs to be done, working with those who work in the residential care industry as well as residents to develop an optimum care standard, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Care, quality and safety require minimum ratios, just not simple ones, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

The relationship between quality of care and staff-to-resident ratios is undeniable, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Concerns with standards that they have been too broad brush, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum. Only minimum guidance provided. By time it’s clear they’ve been breached great harm could have been done.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Parliamentary committee stressed the importance of checking that reforms achieve their intended outcomes. Continual review is essential, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Organisational culture & management are also vital considerations. Just increasing staffing without attention the these things will not protect residents, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Benchmarks need to be set for all different aspects of residential aged care, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Needs to get the mix of staff right, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum. Definitions critical ... what does “appropriate level of care” mean?

[OPSO @opsomedia]

COTA report says staffing levels alone will not improve things. Training & up-skilling is also critical, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

All different bodies looking at what is wrong. All agree that regulatory oversight & increased training & development is critical. The blueprint is there, says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

There’s a decrease in spending on training & professional development for staff in residential aged care. More money, less activity. Where’s $ going, asks Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.

[OPSO @opsomedia]

Funding matched to needs is one way forward. Says Queensland’s #publicadvocate at OPSO’s Staffing Ratios and Funding in Aged Care Forum.