THE AGE OLD QUESTION
The fact that four Illawarra aged care facilities have failed to meet the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) standards in the past 16 months (Illawarra Mercury, August 15) is a great concern to the Seniors United Party of Australia (SUPA) as it would be to many families and friends of residents of nursing homes in our area.
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Prior to when the Federal government changed its inspection policy and the AACQA started making unannounced audits of nursing homes, nursing homes were warned of when to expect an audit.
At that time it was known that nursing homes in the Illawarra would bring in experts to get the nursing home up to the required standard for a short period of time to get through those audits.
A former head of an Anglican nursing home in Dapto was apparently one of those experts.
It is now obvious that numerous nursing homes in the Illawarra were, and probably a number still are not up to the national standards we should expect of them.
This disturbing situation raises questions.
Firstly, how many nursing homes in the Illawarra, and around Australia would still fail the AACQA surprise audits, and secondly, are there a sufficient number of unannounced audits to encourage most nursing homes to lift their standards to a satisfactory standard?
This sad situation reminds us that private nursing homes put profits before people.
The question that remains buried is, would older Australians be better cared for by nursing homes owned and run by Australian governments?
The answer could be, quite probably.
Bob Patrech, Seniors United Party of Australia
SENATOR NEEDS TO RESIGN
In a time when Australian troops are actively engaged in fighting terrorists and extremists how can we tolerate someone like Senator Anning standing in our parliament and not only insulting our Muslim allies but assisting our enemies with his repulsive speech?
Anyone who has been briefed on security and has an ounce of inteligence knows that comments like that are used by Muslim extremists and terrorists to recruit impressionable people.
The senator in one stupid mindless rant wrecked years of work by so many people to prevent radicalisation, that is not to mention his insult to the memory of the 6000 brave Australians who died fighting the NAZIs who demonised people based on religion.
His attack on our basic human rights of freedom of religion and finally his demand that we rescind the very basics of English justice, the presumption that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
How ignorant cowardly and disgusting can one person be in one speech ? The Senator needs to resign in shame.
Doug Steley, Heyfield
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