2010: the year of opportunity

A leading industry figure says the focus on healthcare reform in the lead up to this year’s election presents a valuable opportunity for aged care.

2010 is the year of opportunity for aged care, according to the CEO of Aged and Community Care Victoria.

Gerard Mansour said the focus on the nation’s health system in the lead up to this year’s election provided an opportunity to lay the foundations for a robust and sustainable aged care industry.

The message was delivered in response to the Prime Minister’s focus on the health and aged care needs of older Australians in a recent Australia Day address.

Around half the people in Australia’s hospitals are aged 65 and over Mr Mansour said the government must recognise that aged care reform is a fundamental requirement of broader health reform.

“A lot of those older people are still going to need hospital support and services but many of the older people in hospitals are going to be far better off in the aged care system, whether that is in the home or residential care,” he said.

The Victorian industry head said appropriate reform should move the industry towards a needs-based model.

“Frail, older people have needs and these needs have to be met,” he said.

“We need to stop thinking in terms of places per 1,000 people and replace the current planning guides with a system that meets those needs.”

According to Mr Mansour, ta key challenge for the industry in 2010 is to ensure that both political parties recognise the problems around aged care service delivery and commit to major change.

“Everybody in the industry would have some patience if they knew that there was fundamental commitment to reform,” he said.

“If you look at the nature of some of the things we are proposing, they require long-term implementation plans.

“We have got to start somewhere but there can be no more delays to the process.”

Tags: accv, aged-care, election, health-care, lobbying, nhhrc, reform,

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