Over the past 5 years it has been my privilege to work in the Aged Care Industry with SummitCare, caring for the precious elders in our community.
One of the major lessons I have learned in that time is the power of resilience – and a dogged determination to never give up. In a time where the aged care sector is being bombarded with reforms, negative publicity, unsustainable funding and the burden and impact of COVID -19, it could be easy to lose heart, to lose focus. But that of course is never an option for our team.
The most recent report from Stuart Brown reports the aged care sector, in particular residential aged care, is experiencing an ongoing decline in financial sustainability. This is largely a result of inflationary pressures, and those increases not matching the increased costs of direct care, declining occupancy levels, and the impact of severe events such as the bushfires followed by flooding, and the ongoing effects of the global pandemic.
We continue to look to our Government for ongoing support around wages, staffing (immigration) and funding. SummitCare is not immune to staffing pressures, however we do have a strong team, and robust recruitment processes in place that enables us to be mostly self-reliant and not dependant on using agency staff like many other providers are forced to do. The last three years have been challenging to say the least, yet our teams never give up and remain determined and committed to help the people they care about despite these challenges.
To say I’m proud and grateful for the team at SummitCare for all that they do, would be an understatement.
On a sunnier note, with blue skies (hopefully) and warmer weather on our doorsteps, we are currently preparing for Christmas celebrations in all of our homes, and this year will see a return of opportunities for families to gather at this special time. We look forward to you visiting throughout the festive season this year. Warm and festive wishes to you and your family.
Best wishes
Michelle Sloane
CEO SummitCare
