The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s final report and its 148 recommendations makes it absolutely clear - the aged care system is in crisis.
Scott Morrison has neglected older Australians and the aged care system - it's a national disgrace.
Every Australian wants confidence that their family members will be safe and well cared for if they need to enter residential aged care.
The $1.7 billion cuts to the Aged Care Budget by Scott Morrison as Treasurer have put even more pressure on the aged care sector’s ability to deliver quality care. Cutting the Aged Care Budget at a time where demand for quality care was increasing made no sense and set the ground for the neglect in the sector identified by the Royal Commission.
Labor will take time to digest and work our way through the recommendations of the Royal Commission.
At the National Press Club in August last year Anthony Albanese laid out Labor’s plan for addressing the massive failings of the system which included:
- Minimum staffing levels in residential aged care.
- Reduce the home care package waiting list so more people can stay in their homes for longer.
- Ensure transparency and accountability of funding to support high quality care.
- Independent measurement and public reporting as recommended by the Royal Commission Interim report.
- Ensure every residential aged care facility has adequate personal protective equipment.
- Better training for staff, including on infection control; and
- A better surge workforce strategy.
The budget has provided some support to the aged care issue, but it does not go far enough.
The dedicated but undervalued staff in aged care are doing fantastic work. The trouble is that the good operators and workers are not backed up by the Government. The Royal Commission found that good providers and workers were “succeeding despite the aged care system.”
Labor has always been the Party of aged care. Let’s fix our aged care system so that it’s driven by dignity and care, not profit.
