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The impact of COVID-19 on aged care
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, aged care organisations are having to navigate “very difficult” practical, legal and risk issues, says one practitioner.
Jerome Doraisamy
In conversation with Lawyers Weekly, Kinny Legal solicitor director Jessica Kinny said that lawyers in the aged care space are facing a multitude of challenges in the wake of the global pandemic.
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“Aged care organisations are navigating very difficult practical, legal and risk issues at the moment. They are having to make some really tough calls in situations where there is no easy answer, all options present risk and a decision has to be made quickly. For us, the challenge is giving them well considered advice on what are complex issues within the timeframes they need it,” she explained.
When asked how best lawyers in the aged care space can support their clients and businesses throughout this tumultuous period, Ms Kinny said it will be crucial for those lawyers to remember that “our clients need us” as they are exhausted, and therefore lawyers have a duty to go to those clients with solutions and not wait for them to find time to make an approach.
“COVID-19 is the latest of many major challenges to the industry – over recent years they have experienced huge regulatory changes, huge funding changes, the scrutiny of a royal commission, and the recent bushfires,” she said.
“They are now fighting to keep seniors and staff safe from a highly contagious and potentially fatal virus, in an environment where getting even basic protective equipment like facemasks is a daily battle, and even one visitor ignoring visitation restrictions could be a life or death situation.”
“There are many ways to support our clients that go beyond legal – even picking up the phone to check in, or a timely introduction to someone in your network could make all the difference,” she added.
Thankfully, Ms Kinny noted, the federal government has implemented “important measures” to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the aged care industry, such as imposing visitation restrictions to nursing home[s]”.
What therefore matters moving forward, she surmised, is that lawyers working in aged care ensure their attitude is as client-centric as possible.
“What you do for your clients now and whether you genuinely cared about their situation is going to be remembered for a long time,” she concluded.
“If you want to be a client’s trusted adviser, this is the time to prove that you are worthy of that mantle.”
