The aged care sector needs urgent reforms to continue providing high quality care, according to the President of Aged Care Association Australia NSW (ACAA-NSW).

Speaking at the association’s annual state conference Francis Cook from Cook Care criticised the government for failing to deliver fundamental changes for providers.

“It is an indictment on the department and the government that essential basic, incremental [changes] cannot get through cabinet, particularly when some have no cost to the government,’ he said.

Mr Cook called for two new measures that would enable consumers to contribute more to their accommodation costs in residential care, without adding to the government’s financial burden.

He said the government should immediately remove the “artificial” boundary between high and low care, along with the cap on accommodation charges for all facilities that have met the 2008 building requirements.

The ACAA-Presidents also campaigned for the introduction of a “decent” level of indexation from 1 July. Mr Cook said poor funding was already having a negative impact on the aged care workforce.

“After 12 years of underfunding through the compound neglect of indexation by successive governments, we not only can’t afford higher wages but are told to squeeze more productivity out of our staff,” he said.

“It is insulting our intelligence, insulting to our staff and insulting to our residents as we already do what we do on 20 per cent of the hospital sector’s funding.”

Mr Cook also criticised the government for its decision in the budget to redirect $276.4 million from residential high care places to fund long stay places for older people in public hospitals.

“How can it be a good strategy to keep people in hospital, that don’t need hospitalisation?”he said.

“They need good basic nursing care, hydration, nutrition, activation and socialisation. It’s the formula we use to improve and extend the quality and quantity of life of people in our care – the formula Australian families thank us for every day.”

But Ageing Minister, Justine Elliot said the program would act as an incentive to reduce the number of older long stay patients in hospitals.

She also said the Commonwealth’s decision to take full responsibility for funding and policy in aged care would improve the system for providers and service users.

“It’s a very necessary first step that will enable a national aged care system to be built,” said Mrs Elliot.

“At the moment the system is fragmented between the states and the Commonwealth and the divided responsibilities have led to cost shifting, blame shifting and overlap.”