COTA’s Ian Yates backs “vulnerable person’s card” after ‘Senior Sitter’ ad prompts concerns about ‘freelance’ aged care workers

The ad, which was featured in the classifieds of a free Gold Coast newsletter in May, was placed by someone described as a retired registered nurse, and offered to mind seniors in clients’ homes on a freelance basis.

The COTA CEO has told the ABC that the service is not illegal for individuals but has warned against the practice, and says he could see value in a card that could prove a worker’s credentials.

“We are strong supporters of the development of a vulnerable person’s card so that anyone working with people who might be older or frailer, children or people with a disability … that they all have a common card,” he said.