Sarah Russell
Dr Sarah Russell is a public health researcher who specialises in qualitative research. She has been the Principal Researcher at Research Matters since 1999. She is also the Director, Aged Care Matters. She believes the aged care system requires greater scrutiny, accountability and transparency.
Sarah's recent articles
12 September 2025
Aged care crises continue under Labor
It has been four years since the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was tabled in federal parliament.
30 April 2022
John Howard calls Independents 'groupies'
Former Prime Minister John Howard has been called out for his appalling and sexist language in describing the “teal” Independents as “groupies”. Surely Howard knew the negative connotations of the word “groupie” – commonly used to describe young women who follow around rock groups and celebrities to offer them sex.
7 March 2021
Political stunt silences the Aged Care Royal Commission’s final report
Attempts to politicise the Aged Care Royal Commission report by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt underline the government’s failure to tackle the problems in aged care. The press conference, called at short notice with journalists given no time to prepare was a stunt to divert attention from the rape allegations against the Attorney General.
5 February 2021
Aged care, quarantine: open and shut cases of federal responsibility but Morrison won't step up to the plate
Experts have spent years warning the federal government that pandemics would increase in frequency and severity. Yet the government was asleep at the wheel when Covid hit. Older people paid a heavy price, with Australia having one of the highest rates in the world of deaths in residential aged care as a proportion of total Covid-19 deaths.
6 January 2021
No Plan PM: how government’s lack of an aged care plan cost lives. Typically the PM then blamed others.
While the federal government indulged in semantics, Covid-19 deaths continued to rise in the woefully under-prepared residential aged care sector. 2020 was a horror year for older people living in residential aged care.
14 December 2020
El Cheapo Aged Care: why the Coalition’s make-work schemes won’t work
The best interests of older people are not uppermost in this government’s thinking. Referring to older people requiring care as “consumers”, describing the transfer of residents to hospital as “decanting”, talk of “cohorting” residents into specific sections of a home and other dehumanising language set the scene for its priorities.
9 December 2020
Coalition Spin Kings: Expecting accountability in aged care is mere tilting at windmills
The federal Health Department has learnt a thing or two from Scotty from Marketing. It has just announced version seven of the aged care pandemic plan. Never mind that the previous six versions never existed.
30 October 2020
Yes Minister: Another day, another aged care scandal
The Morrison government has redefined Westminster ministerial responsibility. No longer does a minister bear ultimate responsibility for the actions of its ministry or department.
6 October 2020
Aged care providers have Coalition wrapped around their little fingers
Locking out visitors has made it difficult for staff to meet the daily care needs of aged care residents. So said the royal commissioners. What an indictment on aged care providers. They receive billions a year in funding, yet they rely on the unpaid work of family, friends and volunteers to help with meals, exercise and care for their loved ones. Surely it is time for complete accountability for their government funding.