On the hunt for the grey vote
Mary Wood writes: Re.”Poll Bludger: Libs’ election hopes hinge on the grey vote” (Friday)
If Labor wants a go at the grey vote they could have a campaign pointing out the disaster that is aged care in this country. Like a lot of services, it has been completely privatised and the remorseless search for profit is the rule. Hence nursing homes (they were called that because the people there need proper nursing care) or aged care facilities as they are now called, have been progressively ridding themselves of actual nurses and employing carers, who have minimal training, and even with the best will in the world, which is not always the case, they are unable to provide the level of care required.
It is a system designed by bureaucrats for bureaucrats who have no actual knowledge apart from accounts and the ability to make ever more ridiculous policies and procedure requirements. The staff are overworked, underpaid, and totally unappreciated even when, as many do, they go the extra mile every shift. If it were up to me I would be putting emphasis on the many failings of a system that needs a complete re-vamp. Get the discussions out of boardrooms and onto the floor where the people who actually do the work can provide good input. We spend more money each day to feed a prisoner in one of our jails than a frail elderly inmate of a nursing home.
On Tony Abbott
Richard Thompson writes: Re. ” Rundle: Abbott is a joke, a backbench gargoyle seemingly addicted to failure (Friday)
It would seem with the close proximity of Easter, and his religious purity, Tony should get off his bike pick up a large wooden cross and a whip and wander around the bush flagillating himself, now that would really attract attention.
The 20th Century “Mediawatch” would have tut-tutted at Mr Thompson’s timing, spelling and punctuation; the 21st might just suggest that political has-beens do not personally benefit from pre-cucifixion shenanigans; if Our Tone rose from the dead he might have an outside chance of a shadow ministry – though there are already a slew of zombies around. Anyway I won’t vote for him – I’m not in Waringah or the Liberal Party, what’s left of it!
I would like to see him flagellating himself but i am not holding my breath he has never taken responsibility for any of his lies to the Australian public i guess that is because his narcissistic personality that everyone else is to blame for his demise. the man has no dignity at all
One of his self stated guiding principles is that it is better to ask forgiveness than permission.
Reassuring? That’s what god-bothering does to the brain.
Re Mary Wood – all aged care is privatised
Sorry Mary – get the facts – 60% of aged care facilities are either public/not for profit/charieties
That isn’t even the most damning thing about aged care, the stretching of a handful of nurses over many ‘clients’. There’s so much to choose from! My personal favourite is the ‘independent living unit’, more like the making your money independent of you unit. They’ll charge you even when you’re dead.