Sue and Jan explain why increasing funding to aged care is not about the money at all, but about improving the quality of residents’ care. Watch the video or read the transcript below.
Pete: What do you say to those that say that this is all about getting more money from the government?
Sue: No way! It’s…
Jan: Money is an essential thing, though.
Sue: It’s giving you what you deserve.
Jan: Exactly.
Sue: It’s giving you the care that you deserve.
Jan: But if you do an ACFI that truly reflects what a resident’s care needs are, then it just occurs. It’s not about the money. If you give the proper care, the proper attention, give the resident what they deserve, what they need, money will come. It’s…
Sue: But it’s like…
Jan: It’s a true reflection of what they need, and without money unfortunately, we can’t have the world go around, but…
Sue: You can’t give proper care without the proper funding.
Jan: That’s right.
Sue: And you can’t get the proper funding without giving the proper care.
Jan: Exactly right.
Sue: And that’s just, you know, that’s just how it is. People say – and I’ve had residents say to me, “You’re only doing this for the money, and you’re taking away my independence.” And I say to them, I’m not trying to take away your independence, I’m trying to preserve your independence.
Jan: Exactly.
Sue: If you had a fall tomorrow because we didn’t assist you, then you will have lost more of your independence. We are trying to preserve that independence and maintain that for you, by assisting you with the care that you deserve.
Jan: Exactly right. And by doing that, and sometimes it’s something so minor to what we would think. The difference is just phenomenal.
Sue: Nothing’s minor in aged care.
Jan: Definitely not.
Sue: No.
Jan: And it isn’t about money. Money is something that is necessary, but it’s an end result. It’s not what we do, we don’t do money. We do care. That’s what PA’s about. That’s what ACFI is about.
Sue: That’s what PA’s about.
Jan: That’s what age care is about. It’s not about finding money. It’s about finding care, and by finding that care, and by providing that care need and that do it. That’s what occurred.
‘Cause to me, the most important thing about ACFI is good assessments, good care, and then the money will come. But it’s all about good teamwork, assessments, care planning, implementation, interventions, the whole thing. That’s what it’s about.
Sue: And it’s about empowering people to know that.
Jan: Exactly right. Exactly.
Sue: That’s what it is.
Jan: And also interpreting things.
Sue: That’s PA.
Jan: Yeah.
