Coming up on In The Spirit of Things we talk to Dr. Sarah Russell and what is really going on in aged care in Australia. As many of you know my own parents were diagnosed with Covid19 after contracting the virus from an unvaccinated worker in Summitcare at Baulkham Hills. I spoke out and an escalation of disbelief cascaded that Aged Care workers were still unvaccinated despite the Federal Government's announcement that all Aged Care workers would be prioritised for access to vaccination.
It was Sarah and her tweets that helped me understand I was not alone in my concerns for how Aged Care continues to slide under the radar in Australia despite the findings of the recent Royal Commission.
Dr Sarah Russell is a public health researcher who became interested in aged care when her parents moved to an aged care home. After her father died, she stopped full-time work so she could spend as much time with her Mum as possible. She wanted her Mum’s quality of life to be as good as it could be. She wanted her Mum to feel valued and be engaged in her ‘twilight years’. The time Sarah spent with her Mum in the aged care home was precious for them both. Although Sarah enjoyed the 4 years she spent with residents and staff, she watched the comings and goings in the aged care home with a critical eye.
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