the voice september 2012

1 September2012 THEVOICEOFPENSIONERSANDSUPERANNUANTSOFNSW

THE

VOICECelebrating80yearsofservice

OF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSWPrint Post Approved PP235387100064 ISSN 10353615 September 2012

KEEPONDObbINgINNURSINgHOmEFIRETRAPS

ANOTHER domino has fallen. CPSA congratulates the NSW Government for making fire sprinkler systems mandatory in all NSW nursing homes, following the lead of Victoria and Queensland. Aged care facilities will be given eighteen months to retrofit sprinklers.

Providers who can’t meet that time frame will be given until January 2016 to

complete the work and will be required to submit six-monthly progress reports.

This gives NSW aged care providers more than three years to retrofit nursing homes that, incredibly in this day and age, still rely on frail and mobility-impaired people getting out quick smart in case of fire. That doesn’t always work. The Quakers Hill Nursing

Home Fire is testimony to that. CPSA has led the call for South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, the ACT and Tasmania to move now and make fire sprinkler systems mandatory for nursing homes in their jurisdictions, too. Alternatively, the Federal Government could, with the stroke of a pen, make fire

sprinkler systems mandatory throughout the country. Needless to say, aged care providers have voiced their concern that all this retrofitting is going to be too costly. The NSW Government ignored the aged care industry’s calls for financial assistance. The NSW Government took the Federal

Continued page 8


CPSAExecutive(as at 2.11.2011)

Grace Selway OAM CPSA President

Bob JayCPSA Secretary

Betty ChamberlainCPSA Treasurer

Bill HollandSenior Vice PresidentAssistant Treasurer

George RayVice President

Sue LatimerAssistant Secretary

Shirley BainsJanet CoxonMargaret Craven-ScottJim GraindaMarie Mihell Colin Vernon

THEVOICEOF PENSIONERS AND SUPERANNUANTS OF NSW

Phone: 1800 451 488Fax: (02) 9281 9716Email: [email protected]: Amelia Christie, Antoine Mangion, Emma Cheyne & Paul VersteegePrinter: MPD, Unit E1, 46-62 Maddox Street, Alexandria NSW 2015

All content prepared by the editorial and production team with reference to stories on AAP newswire, unless indicated.

THE VOICECPSA, Level 9, 28 Foveaux StSurry Hills NSW 2010

Disclaimer

No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in advertisements or text supplied by other organisations or individuals and/or typographical errors.

CPSA does not support or promote the products or views in paid advertising.

LettersGrave aged care concernsI was very pleased to read the issue on nursing homes and fire sprinklers. CPSA is one of the watch dog movements we so need. I have been in Sydney for the last two months (from Yeppoon) and saw with concern on ABC’s 7.30 Report a story on the horrific death of a frail aged lady in a low care aged care facility. She was in a room where the bed had grab poles on each side, to allow her to get into and out of bed more easily. Her room door was opened at 4.00 am, and the mattress was on the floor, and the lady herself, if I am correct, was said to have her head caught in the pole. The person who opened the door, assumed the resident was dead, and closed the door, which was not opened again until 5.00 am when a staff member came on duty. The relatives were horrified that this was the situation,

fearing the lady may still have been alive when the room door was first opened. The program went on to say that the government allows up to 50% of residents who were low care, but who have become high care, to remain in low care, but no additional staff are required to be hired. In the case of the 7.30 Report, it was said the nurse on duty at the time was a nurse whose registration had expired. I am feeding an 83 year old lady here in Yeppoon, lunch every day, a typical such person, on the blind pension, and with dementia. She was a low care resident, but has now become classified as high care, but is still in low care. I have to feed her daily, as there are no staff to do it; if I don’t, she cannot eat as she has only one hand able to hold a spoon. Meals at the dining table are put before her, but are taken away uneaten if I am not there. This is certainly

the case where I attend, with 50% high care people in low care facilities, frail aged, some dementia, and a number in wheel chairs. Some are so ill, and have to be fed away from the dining room. Some are passing away in low care. Not good enough. It would be of particular interest to know if those now high care residents in low care facilities, are being funded at high care rates by the government. If that is so, it is quite shocking, in my opinion ,that no additonal staff are required to be hired. I once heard a financial expert address a large meeting on such organisations, saying, “not for profit does not mean they do not make a profit”. Needless to say, the existing staff in low care are over-worked, caring for high care residents and all that involves, with not a cent extra in pay. They are working in conditions they were not

Donations,bequests,membershipandTHEVOICEsubscriptions

membershipisopentoallwhosupporttheaimsandobjectivesofCPSA

I’d like to renew my Membership or join CPSA as a Member and enclose my individual Membership fee of $12 (Includes a free annual subscription to THE VOICE, valued at $25.00). I agree to be bound by the CPSA Constitution and uphold the Objectives and Policies of CPSA. I support the CPSA Objectives. I have not previously been expelled from CPSA or, if I have been expelled, I have attached a copy of my CPSA Executive exemption. Please send me information about my nearest Branch. I do not wish to join CPSA but would like to subscribe to THE VOICE (1 year—$25.00 incl. GST). I belong to an organisation and would like information about how we can become a Branch or an Affiliate of CPSA. (NB: Branches are covered by CPSA’s $10 million Public Liability Insurance). I wish to make a donation of $______ (All donations above $2 are tax deductible). Please send me information about THE VOICE gift subscriptions. I wish to make a bequest to CPSA in my Will. Please send me information.Name:_____________________________________________________________________________Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________State:_____________Postcode:__________Phone: ______________________________Email:_________________________________________Payment details (for credit card): Visa Mastercard Name on card:__________________________Card Number:___________________Expiry:_________Amount:______________________ Signature:_____________________________________________

Please send to: CPSA, Level 9, 28 Foveaux St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Letters are personal views only and do not necessarily reflect CPSA policy. Ed.

September2012 www.cpsa.org.au 1800451488 3

hired to do. At the very least, the public need to know about this, which I hope you may consider exploring and making known.

Trevor Green, Yeppoon, Qld

An oxymoron in NewcastleIn Newcastle, $94 million has been earmarked for a new state courthouse development which the legal community says is the wrong design on the wrong site and an independent planner has rejected due to unsatisfactory traffic impacts. $65 million will be spent on refurbishing the former Newcastle Post Office for no obvious purpose. $10 to $15 million will be spent to relocate the Callaghan traffic congestion on top of the Honeysuckle congestion. Who are we trying to please? I see a lot of smiling developers but nobody else. I feel an oxymoron coming on. Let’s build a courthouse with no parking beside a railway station. Then we’ll cut the rail at a cost of $700 million. Then all the surfboards, strollers, pushbikes and those people too disabled, old or young to drive can make their way up to the Surfest and Fat as Butter festivals on a bus. I wonder how many surfboards they can get on a bus in peak times.

George ParisNorth Rathmines, NSW

Unanderra derailedAt the recent meeting of the South Coast Area Council, it was resolved unanimously that I should again remind the Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, and the Premier, Barry O’Farrell, of the disappointment of my fellow delegates at the total disregard shown in the matter of lifts for Unanderra station, thus declaring their attitude to treat senior citizens, along with all others so affected by their neglect, as second class citizens. We have noted in the press that the Premier has stated Unanderra will be apportioned along with other areas. We consider Unanderra to be as deserving as any other area. How many more citizens would use Unanderra station if they only had reasonable access? To we disadvantaged locals it is not very hard to imagine. No doubt a lot of money has been taken from this project to go towards the shiny new station at Flinders, with lifts as per the artist’s impression in The Mercury. This will no doubt make the people in Mr Ward’s electorate smile broadly while the many in Unanderra and surrounds can never raise a smile after being shoved aside for over 16 years. If, after Government apportioning, Unanderra has a position anywhere near the top, we would be delighted to have the Transport Minister’s advice. It was also resolved that

I bring to the Minister’s attention the overcrowded situation in the carpark at Dapto Station (quite a few from Unanderra no doubt). In the mornings anyone wishing to travel after 7am has to search for a car space. We hope that the Transport Minister can bring some good news to our harassed travellers in the near future.

Eric StevensonSecretary

South Coast Area Council

Single-sex wards an issue, hotline or no hotlineAt the meeting of the Orana Branch of CPSA held on 10 August, Members were exteremely disappointed to read in THE VOICE that the hotline for single sex wards in hospitals has now been abolished due to lack of interest with only 55 calls. Our Members were unaware that a hotline existed. This is not because we are uninterested but rather, somehow, missed the publicity. Dubbo has been promised a new hospital and we have had the promise of Health Minister Jilian Skinner that this new hospital will have segregated wards. The construction of this hospital is to start very soon and we will be very upset if the bed allocation reverts to Florence Nightingale days. Let us have institutions built for the 21st century please.

Joan TealeSecretary

Orana CPSA

Letters

THE VOICE, CPSA [email protected] 9, 28 Foveaux StSurry Hills NSW 2010

You must include your name and suburb/town for the letter to be published, though these may be omitted in publication if the letter contains personal information. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

SendalettertoTHEVOICE CPSA - who we are

CPSA was founded in 1931 in response to pension cuts.

CPSA is a non-profit, non-party-political membership association which serves pensioners of all ages, superannuants and low-income retirees.

The aim of CPSA is to improve the standard of living and well-being of its Members and constituents.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing to get

subsidised vibrating smoke alarms

THE SMOKE Alarm Subsidy Scheme (SASS) provides subsidised visual and tactile smoke alarms for people living in NSW who are deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing. While average smoke alarms cost around $50, the more elaborate alarms required for those that are hard of hearing can cost up to $500. These alarms have a vibrating pad that goes under one’s pillow that is connected to a wall mounted smoke detector. They also activate strobe lights in the event of a fire. Last month, NSW Ageing and Disability Minister, Andrew Constance, announced a $2 million subsidy program in which hearing impaired and deaf people will pay $50 for an alarm. Pensioners and those facing economic hardship will be able to obtain an alarm at no cost. The scheme is expected to distribute 3,500 alarms throughout NSW. To find out more or to apply for the Smoke Alarm Subsidy Scheme contact the Deaf Society of NSW on (02) 8833 3600 or email [email protected]


members’page

THE e-VOICE is available on the internet. Visit our website, www.cpsa.org.au, and sign up at

THE VOICE - Subscribe

Donations

CPSA is grateful for all donations. Due to lack of space, the following only includes donations above $35 received since the last edition of THE VOICE:

P. Lenton $100Lismore CPSA $150Stanmore-Petersham Dance Club $2,167.08

CPSA MerchandiseBadgesMembership : pin $4.50Membership: magnet $4.50Title Bar* + pendant $9.00Title Bar* $5.00Pendant $4.00(*except Welfare Officer $10.15Asst Soc. Sec.) $16.15CardsMembership card $0.10Waratah card $1.00

Card wallet $3.30Certificate (80/90 years/Appreciation) $1.10Emergency medical information book $2.00Leather key ring $5.50Letter opener: silver $10.00Do Not Knock Sticker FREE for individuals*Tea caddy spoon $4.40

Please add postage to all items.*A small fee may apply to bulk orders.

Garden of RemembranceSylvia Dawn Ewart, Secretary of Cooma Branch, recently passed away. Sylvia was also a past President of our Branch. She was the prime force in the group.

President of Cooma Branch, Norah Lovell Johnson recently passed away. Norah was a great supporter of THE VOICE.

Ivy Graham, 10/12/1918 – 4/6/2012, of Toongabbie Senior Citizens Association, has passed away. She was a dearly beloved Member for many years.

~ Rest in Peace ~

Head Office News

Head Office News is sent to all Branch Secretaries, Presidents and Treasurers with the instruction to read it aloud to the Branch meeting. Every Branch Member is also entitled to receive a copy. If you would like a copy, please call Head Office on 1800 451 488.Condition of CPSA Membership

According to the NSW Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (Schedule 1, clause 11(1)(a) and Appendix 1 based on Clause 3(1)), it is a condition of your ongoing CPSA membership that you agree to comply with CPSA’s Constitution including Aims & Objectives.

If you have any questions or would like a copy of the Constitution, please call Head Office on 1800 451 488.

Why I joined CPSA

I’d always been a union member so when retirement came, I wondered “is there a union to suit me?” There was and there is. It’s called CPSA. At the time I was a keen member of the local bushwalking club. During breaks we talked about Government policies as they related to seniors. The GST had just been introduced and it seemed to many in the group that the views of older people needed to be listened to. As there was no CPSA Branch in our town, we bushwalkers decided to act. CPSA Head Office offered encouragement. We approached the deputy mayor who became our sponsor. The CPSA President chaired our inaugural meeting. We quickly had a Branch Executive of people keen to be involved. I was interested in how CPSA worked

and on a few occasions represented the Branch at CPSA Council meetings in Sydney. The biggest eye-opener for me was the CPSA Annual Conference. More than 80 women and men representing their Branches came from around the state to meet, debate and form policies that were to be put to Government. The NSW Minister for Ageing opened the Conference and it was obvious that Governments accept CPSA as a key organisation speaking out on behalf of its Members and constituents. I was also impressed that CPSA had its representatives advocating for CPSA policy in the papers, on TV and the radio in response to proposals put forward by Governments of all persuasions. When I moved closer to Sydney I was elected to the CPSA Executive. I am impressed with the dedication of the Executive members and the office holders I’ve come to know in

the last 12 or so years. They are determined to improve the lot of pensioners, superannuants and low-income retirees. Sadly some have passed on but their achievements inspire me to continue to try to make a worthwhile contribution to CPSA. CPSA Members and Branches should be proud of their achievements: the latest, in 2012, being the Government’s announcement that sprinklers will become compulsory in nursing homes, and the defeat of the suggestion by the Australian Productivity Commission to induce the Government to force the sale of the homes of people needing aged care. There are three or four groups in NSW which claim to represent seniors. The reason I joined and stay with CPSA is because CPSA is RIDGY-DIDGE and TRUE-BLUE. In my opinion, the others are what I call Claytons.

Friends of CPSA

CPSA Constitution

THE CPSA Constitution with updates from the 2011 AGM is available on our website. Visit www.cpsa.org.au and click ‘About Us’. If you would like a prinited copy call Head Office on 1800 451 488.


members’newsGenerous DonationsNamoi Valley Independent, 20 June 2012A GENEROUS legacy, bequeathed to the Gunnedah CPSA Branch by the late Bill Rolph, has benefitted Gunnedah Hospital and Lundie House. The Branch has donated $5,636 to Gunnedah Hospital towards the cost of two light-weight ArjoHuntleigh Enterprise 5000 hospital beds, designed to minimise risks associated with hospital beds. The beds can be lowered to a height of 30cm, which Nurse Unit Manager Katrina O’Brien said reduces the risk of injury through falls. The beds are designed for good infection control and

ergonomics, enhanced safety and ease of use. The controls are positioned for easy access and the bed can be raised or lowered to various positions as required. Mrs O’Brien said the beds had been on her ‘wish list’ for some time and she was very grateful to the Branch for its contribution. Lundie House at Gunnedah Aged Care Services has also received a welcome gift of $2,671.51 to purchase a standard ambulatory syringe driver, which provides a continuous infusion of drugs over a determined period of time, or at a given rate. The device is widely used for palliative care and long-term therapy. Gunnedah CPSA President

Shirley Anderson said the donations had been given from Mr Rolph’s legacy and the Members feel they have carried out his wishes.

Milestone for Gunnedah CPSA MembersBy Ashley Swain, Namoi Valley Independent, March 2012AS PART of the Gunnedah’s Seniors Week celebrations, a presentation of certificates was made to the over 80s and 90s senior citizens at the Smithurst Theatre. The group were presented with their certificates by Mayor Adam Marshall and announced by the [then] President of Gunnedah CPSA, Shirley Anderson. Reaching the 80s milestone were Shirley Corliss, Lyn

Boyd, Milda Maroney, Gwen Campbell, Dot George, Marie O’Donnell and Mona Cruze. Receiving certificates for the admirable achievement of reaching the age of 90 were Anne Foster, Sadie Hayes, Daphne Elliott, Betty Scott and George Guest. Sadie Hayes and George Guest were invited to cut the cake for the presentation. “These citizens are so knowledgeable, they have so much history and are lovely to speak to,” said Gunnedah CPSA [then] President, Shirley Anderson. Mayor Adam Marshall congratulated the group on reaching their milestones. “We have a lot to learn from their generation,” Cr Marshall said.

Gunnedah Mayor Adam Marshall (top right) with certificate recipients for 80 and 90 years.

Gunnedah Secretary Jan Snow, [then] President Shirley Anderson and Treasurer Julie Smith with a bed purchased with the Branch’s donation from Bill Rolph’s bequest.

THE NSW Government is taking the razor to a number of major community service organisations according to the Sydney Morning Herald (16 August 2012). At least seven organisations, including the Welfare Rights Centre, Redfern Legal Centre’s financial counselling service and Lifeline (Sydney and Sutherland) are set to face reduced funding following an internal review by the Department of Family

and Community Services obtained by the Herald. The Department is looking to reduce costs to meet efficiency and salary cap targets. Because these organisations have been deemed to not meet the two new main functions of the Department – early intervention of foster care placement; and community building – they are facing cuts so that the Government can meet its savings targets. The document obtained

by the Herald, entitled FACS Community Services Division: further saving strategies, recommended that seven organisations should be considered for having their services defunded. In most instances, it noted, ending the service would result in greater demand being put on other services. It was also unclear whether alternatives existed in many cases. The Department did not respond to questions

put to it by the Herald, however, in a statement it said that it was assessing the recommendations. CEO of the Welfare Rights Centre, Marie O’Halloran, told the Herald that the $404,000 a year loss from Community Services could mean the Centre would have to close. Meanwhile, operators of Lifeline, Wesley Mission, said that the loss of their funding would prevent them from training counsellors.

Welfare groups face the razor to vital funds


CPSAmemberbenefit


Agm&Conference2012

Hop online at a low cost!WorkVentures has been committed to providing low cost computers to Seniors since 2002.

Our $299 Seniors Pack includes:

• Quality corporate refurbished computer • Microsoft Windows XP and Office 2007 • 6 month warranty and free phone support • Home delivery • Special offer: receive a computer and internet training pack, free when you mention this ad (save $40!). This offer is available with orders placed before 31/7/12.

Call us on 1800 112 205 or visit workventures.com.au/seniors to order or to check laptop deals and availability.

Do you want to help your local community? Are you over 50 years old?

The Health Promotion Service for Older People would like to train you to be a volunteer peer educator to conduct informative health related discussions with groups of seniors in the Sydney Metropolitan area. Our 3 days training program will provide you with information about the role of a peer educator, group presentation skills and an

introduction to health related topic. The program is available to seniors (50yrs+) from different community groups so whether you speak English well and/or other languages, we want you!

If you’re interested please contact Habib or Barbara on (02) 9281 3588 or 1800 451 488 or by

email: [email protected] by 7 September 2012

WHERE Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Associ-ation of NSW Inc. (CPSA)

ADDRESS Level 9, 28 Foveaux St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 COST Free! Morning tea and lunch provided DATE 11, 12 and 13 September 2012 TIME 10 am - 4 pm

Peer Educator Training Program

Nominations for CPSA Executive

In accordance with CPSA Constitution Rule 8.3.2 this announcement serves as the required notice in THE VOICE calling for nominations of candidates for election to the CPSA Executive. Nominations must be:• submitted on the official form• signed by proposer, seconder and nominee• accompanied by a Curriculum Vitae• received before the deadline (outlined on the form) by the CPSA Returning Officer at 9 Gillis St, Dubbo NSW 2830.

Nomination forms have been circulated to all Branches and Area Councils. If you would like a copy of the nomination form, please contact Head Office on 1800 451 488.


Government’s comments about fire safety being a state responsibility at face value and simply imposed mandatory sprinklers, noting that aged care funding is a Federal responsibility. If you think that this is cheap politicking, maybe you are right, but the NSW Government is not imposing an impossible requirement. Nor would the Governments of South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, the ACT and Tasmania be doing something unreasonable by making fire sprinkler systems mandatory for nursing homes in their jurisdictions. In fact, they would miss a golden opportunity. Under the aged care reform announced in April this year, nursing homes that carry out significant renovations between now and 1 July 2014 will qualify for a 60 per cent increase in their accommodation subsidies. A nursing home with 100 residents would receive $750,000 in additional annual revenue. Obviously, nursing homes all want to qualify for this additional money and are all gearing up for renovations. In NSW (and Queensland) this means that homes are likely to include a sprinkler system as part of their renovations. Nursing home renovations will have to meet the definition of a “significant refurbishment” to qualify for the additional funding. This definition is currently being thrashed out by the new Aged Care Financing Authority (ACFA). CPSA will be making a submission to ACFA petitioning for inclusion of fire safety improvements in the definition of a “significant refurbishment”. COTA Australia is

represented on the ACFA Board and has also come out calling for South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, the ACT and Tasmania to make sprinklers mandatory in nursing homes. When you think about it, the reasons prompting Governments to make sprinkler systems mandatory in nursing homes are pretty disappointing. The Victorian Government made fire sprinklers mandatory in nursing homes in 2002, after a long-running inquest into a fire at Kew Cottages in 1996, which resulted in the deaths of nine disabled residents. It took a fire in a disability institution in 2002 to get the Victorian Government to move. The Queensland Government has finally got things under way after an arsonist set fire to the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers in 2000, claiming the lives of 15 tourists. New South Wales has acted after the Quakers Hill Nursing Home Fire, where an alleged arsonist has been charged with ten counts of murder. The questions are:- What needs to burn down in South Australia before the South Australian Government acts? How many deaths?- What needs to burn down in Western Australia before the Western Australian Government acts? How many deaths?- What needs to burn down in the Northern Territory before the Northern Territory Government acts? How many deaths?- What needs to burn down in the ACT before the ACT Government acts? How many deaths?- What needs to burn down in Tasmania before the

Tasmanian Government acts? How many deaths?

Feds not interested in fire sprinklers

WHAT the NSW Government also announced was that nursing home operators will need to inform residents, prospective residents and families about whether sprinklers are installed. Those nursing homes that can’t meet the 30 June 2015 deadline and take an extra year will need to submit and publish progress reports. This is very important, because fire sprinkler systems have so far been ignored by the nursing home assessment regime and the industry itself. While investigating nursing homes across NSW, CPSA discovered that basic information about fire safety in nursing homes is hard to access. It’s not just nursing homes that are sometimes hesitant to provide information about whether they have fire sprinklers in their homes. CPSA discovered the Australian Government agency which accredits nursing homes (and reports on standards within individual homes) misses an important opportunity to pass on this

information to the public. All nursing homes and aged care facilities must be accredited every three years. This accreditation process is done by the Federal Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency and each accreditation report can be found for each aged care facility by searching its website. What CPSA discovered, however, is that just because a facility has fire sprinklers installed does not mean this information is included in the accreditation report. This information may be collected by an inspector at the time of the accreditation process, but is not necessarily included in the final accreditation document made available on the website. This has two consequences. First, it diminishes the expense and effort of some NSW nursing home facilities to make their homes fire safe for their residents because the information is not readily accessible on their website report. Second, it underscores the attitude of the agency suggesting that fire sprinklers are not important when assessing nursing home fire safety standards. The accreditation process

CPSACampaignsFrom page 1


is the perfect opportunity for inspectors to collect and report fire sprinkler information for the Government. Following the Quakers Hill fire, NSW Planning and Infrastructure Minister Brad Hazzard said “the challenge is now to work with the Federal Government to establish which nursing homes do not have sprinklers and what steps may be necessary to ensure appropriate protection for residents”. Wouldn’t the accreditation process be the perfect opportunity for the Accreditation Agency to be working alongside the NSW Government to provide this much needed information? So, many nursing homes won’t give out the information about whether they have sprinklers or not, and the Accreditation Agency is not committed to collecting the information when it does its inspections.

Small nursing homes and fire safety

MANY small private and not for profit nursing homes across NSW are not committing to installing fire sprinklers, despite the lives that might be saved if these facilities have a fire. Over 100 of the places that we contacted during our nursing home fire sprinkler survey were small and not for profit facilities. Of those we spoke to across the state that didn’t already have sprinklers, and weren’t planning to install them, we were given a variety of excuses. “It’s too expensive!” said one owner “who is going to pay for it? The pensioners?” said another. One operator told us it was just a “knee jerk reaction following the Quakers Hill fire”. Some

owners said they refuse to install sprinklers unless the Government provides funding to do so. But to all those responses CPSA says, if fire sprinklers are compulsory in all Queensland and Victorian nursing homes, they should be compulsory in New South Wales too. Many of the nursing homes we spoke to were very open with us. They had no problem discussing the sensitive issue of whether or not they have fire sprinklers, or indeed, if they plan to install them. These homes were more than happy to tell us they couldn’t afford to install sprinklers, because it would “cost a million dollars” according to Rockdale Nursing Home owner, Ernest Edwards. Others were equally defensive when asked what they thought of the company that owns Quakers Hill Nursing Home, Domain Principal’s decision to fit sprinklers in all of its homes. Or they had nothing to say about the decision. Other smaller homes we contacted however, such as Murray Haven Hostel in Barham, told us it was imperative that Domain Principal install fire sprinklers. We spoke to Barbara Bowers, CEO of Murray Haven, a nursing home that has sprinklers, and she told us it was “horrifying” that all NSW nursing homes don’t already have them fitted.

Other smaller operators, such as Bega’s Casuarina Hostel and Hillgrove House, whose CEO Jim Butterworth was happy to confirm that both their facilities have sprinklers, thinks all nursing home facilities should have to do the same. Beecroft Nursing

Home General Manager, Michala Page, agrees. Ms Page, whose 97 bed facility has sprinklers, believes more legislation is needed to ensure safety for residents and staff. “You can’t put a price on the cost of a life,” she said. This message was reiterated by the General Manager of Bossley Park’s SWIAA Gardens, Kath Thammiah. Ms Thammiah said she witnessed the Quakers Hill fire while driving home on the night of the tragedy. After stopping to assist residents into ambulances, she was personally motivated to approach the board of SWIAA Gardens and asked them to consider installing sprinklers throughout the whole of their facility. Currently it has sprinklers in part of its facility and has now decided to go ahead with putting them through the whole place. When CPSA asked Ms Thammiah what she thought of organisations who said they couldn’t afford to install sprinklers, she said those operators needed to ask themselves if they would be happy to put their own mum

and dad in a nursing home without sprinklers. If they answered “no”, she said they needed to reconsider how they run their own facilities. Others, such as Burwood’s Linburn Nursing Home, said it’s about time sprinklers were mandatory in NSW. Linburn Director of Nursing, Donna Sunderland, disagrees with operators who say that installation is too expensive. “Everyone is trying to make ends meet, fire [safety] is not something to shortcut on,” said Ms Sunderland. Ms Sunderland said she wouldn’t work in a facility without sprinklers, because the safety of her residents is paramount. “It’s the last thing I think about at night and the first thing I think about in the morning,” she said.

Retirement Villages: a lifestyle choice but be wary

RETIREMENT village living may be a great lifestyle choice but if you’re thinking about entering a retirement village, make sure you do your homework. Retirement villages, and in particular the contracts that go with them, can be a minefield

CPSACampaigns


for people, particularly if they decide that they wish to move on later. The NSW Government has recognised this with the Minister for Fair Trading, Anthony Roberts, stating that the contracts are currently “complex, lengthy and confusing”. That’s why the Government is implementing standard retirement village contracts. This won’t alleviate the complexity of the contracts entirely but is certainly hoped to create more transparency. These new contracts will start in 2013, with the final draft due to be out at the end of this year. Retirement villages are not for everyone (only 5 per cent of people over 65 live in them) and it’s very important that you do your research and seek legal advice. What to ask before you signCPSA recently attended a parliamentary forum on retirement villages and the solicitors present had these helpful tips on what to consider.- Do your numbers. As you

are not usually buying the bricks and mortar, you often don’t receive all the capital gains and there can be exit fees. You are buying into a lifestyle, not an investment.

- Choose your solicitor wisely and pick someone with extensive experience in retirement village contracts.

- Read the documents yourself and make sure you engage with the solicitor about your concerns. Don’t just hand it over. Involve your family as well so that there are more eyes and ears to nut out problems.

- Understand what’s included in the recurrent charges as it’s usually not just maintenance. Make

sure the services available at the particular village are things you will actually use as you’ll be paying for them regardless.

- Make sure any benefits or special deals you are offered such as free evening meals for the first six months are included in your contract because there can be poor communication between head office and the sales team.

- Some villages have a “try before you buy” option where you can rent at the village before signing to “buy in”. Ask if this is an option.

Transport for all

Transport for NSW has been conducting research about the accessibility of the transport network for older people and people with disability. They met with nine organisations, including CPSA. CPSA Members present were asked by Transport for NSW about staff customer service, their experiences with the complaints system, impediments in the built

environment that make travel prohibitive for older people , and what changes are needed to make things better. Transport for NSW reported finding overall that people had a lack of trust in the complaints system and have often given up engaging with it, that the behaviour of staff and also other passengers can reduce accessibility such as bus drivers taking off too quickly or passengers not vacating priority seating for less-mobile travellers. They also found that there has been poor communication to passengers about service upgrades and changes. Importantly, Transport for NSW reported that while conducting upgrades that meet the needs of one group, this can raise concerns for another. The development of large interchanges like Chatswood and Parramatta provide good examples. While these upgrades have been beneficial for people with mobility issues because they are accessible by lifts, the large, open spaces can prove difficult and confusing to navigate for people with dementia, intellectual

disabilities or poor vision. Transport for NSW is in the process of putting together a Disability Action Plan to cover all modes of public transport (private operators are excluded). A draft document has been released and feedback from organisations which serve/advocate for older people and people with disability is encouraged. CPSA will be putting in a submission. As the consultation is not open to members of the public, CPSA is calling for VOICE readers to ring head office on 1800 451 488 to give us input about their transport experiences, so that we can incorporate these into our submission. The Disability Action Plan centres around how to upgrade the transport network so that it is accessible for all customers through the installation of lifts and ramps, improving information and service, partnerships with local governments and how to reduce transport disadvantage through supported programs and targeted concessions.

CPSACampaigns


INCOmESECURITY

CentrelinkAge Pension 13 23 00

DSP/Carer benefits 13 27 17Family Assistance 13 61 50

Welfare Rights CentreInfo on Government pensions

and other benefits(02) 9211 53001800 226 028

National Information Centre on Retirement InvestmentsAnything for the small investor and people wondering about

super or how to invest1800 020 110

Financial Ombudsman Services

Complaints about banking, insurance, super, financial

planning 1300 780 808

Industry Fund FinancialPlanning

1300 138 848

Australian Taxation OfficeSuper/Lost super 13 10 20

Personal tax 13 28 61

British Pensions inAustralia

Assistance in claiming the British Pension(02) 9521 79641300 308 353

No Interest Loans Scheme1800 509 994

RIgHTS

Australian Human Rights Commission

Complaints about discrimination and

harassment 1300 369 711

Commonwealth Ombudsman

Complaints about Federal Government departments and

agencies 1300 362 072

NSW Ombudsman’s Office Complaints about NSW Government agencies

1800 451 524

NSW Trustee and Guardian1300 360 466

Guardianship TribunalFinancial management orders

for people with decision-making disabilities

1800 463 928

Seniors Information Service13 12 44

Consumer Trader & Tenancy Tribunal

Tenancy, trader and consumer disputes13 32 20

Energy & Water Ombudsman (EWON)

Complaints about all NSW electricity/gas retailers and Sydney and Hunter Water

1800 246 545

TelecommunicationsIndustry Ombudsman

Phone and internet complaints 1800 062 058

gOODSANDSERVICE

Telstra Pensioner DiscountFor basic plans only

1800 353 652

NSW Seniors CardDiscounts on goods and services 1300 364 758

NSW Companion CardFree event admission for

companions of eligible people with a disability 1800 893 044

IPART Energy ComparisonCalculator 1300 136 888

HEALTHANDCARE

Commonwealth CareLinkInfo about aged and

community care 1800 052 222

Office of Hearing ServicesSubsidised hearing aids

1800 500 726

Dementia Helpline1800 100 500

Private Health Insurance Ombudsman

Complaints and information1300 737 299

VisionCare NSWSubsidised spectacles

(02) 9344 4122 1800 806 851

Home Care Service NSWDomestic assistance, respite

and personal care 1800 044 043

Rape Crisis Centre24hours/7days 1800 424 017

Health Care Complaints Commission

NSW only (02) 9219 74441800 043 159

Carers NSWInformation, support

1800 242 636Emergency respite

1800 059 059

Aged care information lineResidential and community

aged care information1800 200 422

Aged Care Complaints Scheme

Complaints about residential and community aged care

1800 550 552

LifelineMental health support,

suicide prevention 13 11 14

Beyond BlueDepression and anxiety

information 1300 224 636

Public Dental Health Services

Call NSW Health for details(02) 9391 90001800 639 398

Medicare Enhanced Primary Care Dental Scheme

Call Medicare for details132 011

People with DisabilitiesAdvice for people with a

disability(02) 9370 31001800 422 016

Exit AustraliaInformation about euthanasia

1300 103 948

Dying with Dignity NSW(02) 9212 4782

Australian Men’s Shed

Association 1300 550 009

HOUSINg

CPSA’s Older Persons Tenants’ Service (OPTS)

Individual advocacy(02) 9566 11201800 13 13 10

CPSA’s Park and Village Service (PAVS)

Individual advocacy for caravan parks and

manufactured homes villages(02) 9566 10101800 177 688

NSW Department of Housing

Info and applications1300 468 746

Tenants Advice LineMondays 3-6pm1800 251 101

LEgAL

The Aged-care Rights Service including Older Persons’ Legal ServiceAged care and retirement

village advocacy and information and legal advice

for older people.(02) 9281 36001800 424 079

Law AccessReferrals for legal help

1300 888 529

The Law SocietySolicitor and legal firm

referrals1800 422 713

Community Justice Centres Dispute resolution services

for minor matters 1800 990 777

Domestic Violence Advocacy Service

1800 200 526

Family Relationship Centres Relationship and separation information 1800 050 321

Office of the Legal Services Commissioner

Complaints about lawyers and conveyancers 1800 242 958

CPSAInformationDirectory


Giggle Page“Competitive Salary” We remain competitive by paying you less than our competition.

“Join our fast-paced company” We have no time to train you.

“Casual work atmosphere” We don’t pay enough to expect that you will dress up; a couple of the really daring guys wear earrings.

“Some overtime required” Some every night and some every weekend.

“Duties will vary” Anyone in the office can boss you around.

“Must have an eye for detail” We have no quality assurance.

“Apply in person” If you’re old or frumpy you’ll be told that the position has been filled.

“Seeking candidates with a wide variety of experience” You’ll need it to replace the three people who just quit.

“Requires team leadership skills” You’ll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.

“Career-minded” Female applicants must be childless (and remain that way).

“Problem-solving skills a must” You’re walking into perpetual chaos.

“Good communication skills” Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they want and do it.

Read between the linesJOB ADVERTISEMENTS

Shoe Delight

A man returns to his hometown after twenty years abroad. When he gets there he cannot recognise the place. Everything has changed. The places he used to visit have all disappeared. He then remembers that the last thing he did before leaving was to take a pair of shoes to the shoemaker’s that he’d forgotten to collect. He decides to go there and try. Very pleased, he discovers that the shoemaker shop is still at the same place. He goes inside and tells the shoemaker that about twenty years earlier he left a pair of shoes to be repaired. The shoemaker asks for a description of the shoes then says: “Okay, Come back tomorrow. They will be ready then.” Some things never change.

A cheap shot at solicitors

A solicitor parked his brand new Porsche in front of the office to show it off to his colleagues. As he was getting out of the car, a truck came speeding along too close to the kerb and took off the door before zooming off. More than a little distraught, the solicitor grabbed his mobile and called the police. Five minutes later, the police arrived. Before the policeman had a chance to ask any questions, the man started screaming hysterically, “My Porsche, my beautiful silver Porsche is ruined. No matter how long it’s at the panel beaters, it’ll simply never be the same again!” After the man finally finished his rant, the policeman shook his head in disgust. “I can’t believe how materialistic you bloody solicitors are,” he said. “You lot are so focused on your possessions that you don’t notice anything else in your life.” “How can you say such a thing at a time like this?” sobbed the Porsche owner. The policeman replied: “Didn’t you realise that your arm was torn off when the truck hit you?” The solicitor looked down in horror. “Oh no!” he screamed. “Where’s my Rolex?!”

the voice september 2012

Documents

nsw aged care providers

nsw government

nsw nursing homes

aged care industrys

aged care facilities

low care aged care facility

alexandria nsw

frail aged lady