• Charles Sturt experts recently briefed Royal Commission officers ahead of the Commission’s public meetings in Dubbo and Mudgee next week
• The invitation to meet arose from a public forum in Dubbo organised by Charles Sturt staff and a subsequent submission to the Royal Commission
• The Royal Commission wants to hear rural people’s concerns and opinions about aged care

Experts from Charles Sturt University (Charles Sturt) were recently invited to meet with and brief representatives of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety ahead of the Commission’s public meetings in Dubbo and Mudgee next week.

Associate Professor of nursing in the Charles Sturt School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health Maree Bernoth (pictured left) explained the invitation arose following an earlier forum hosted by Charles Sturt in Dubbo on Tuesday 7 May, which resulted in a formal submission to the Royal Commission.

Professor Bernoth said, “On Tuesday last week, Charles Sturt colleagues Dr Elyce Green and Ms Jayne Lawrence from the Three Rivers University Department of Rural Health and I were invited to speak to a panel of lawyers and policy experts from the Royal Commission.

“The invitation was an outcome of the Dubbo community forum and the subsequent submission we made to the Royal Commission.

“The panel was very interested to learn more about the provision of aged care services and residential aged care in rural and remote communities, and the culturally appropriate provision of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

The Royal Commission is organising community meetings in Mudgee and Dubbo next week to provide the public with an opportunity to voice their opinions and learn more about the Royal Commission.

“The Commission really wants to hear from rural people about their concerns about aged care, and also about what is working well,” Professor Bernoth said.

 “This is a wonderful opportunity for rural voices to be heard, and we strongly encourage people living in our rural communities to attend and provide information in a friendly environment.”

The meetings in Dubbo at the Milestone Hotel, 195 Macquarie Street Dubbo, are:

Monday 16 September: 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and 6pm

Tuesday 17 September: 9am, 10am, 11am and 12pm

Wednesday 18 September: 9am, 10am, 11am, and 12pm

Meetings will run on the hour for 50 minutes.

The meetings in Mudgee at Club Mudgee, 99 Mortimer Street Mudgee, are:

Monday 16 September: 4pm, 5pm and 6pm

Tuesday 17 September: 9am, 10am, 11am and 12pm

Meetings will run on the hour for 50 minutes.

People who wish to attend need to RSVP by email to ACRCengagement@royalcommission.gov.au or telephone 1800 960 711, indicating what date and time they would like to attend and their interest in aged care. An interpreter service will be available via telephone.

These proceedings will precede the Royal Commission’s formal hearings in Mudgee between Monday 4 and Wednesday 6 November.

The Royal Commission’s public forums will be held in a number of locations around the country and provide an opportunity for members of the pubic to hear about the work of the Commission, and to offer their ideas on the challenges and strengths of, and the opportunities to improve, aged care.