ACS appeals to the premier
The NSW peak body has written an open letter to Kristina Keneally, urging her back thorough reform measures for aged care.
NSW aged care providers have placed an open letter in the Sydney Morning Herald, urging the premier to push for a proper commitment to aged care reform at next Monday’s COAG meeting.
In the letter, Aged and Community Services Association of NSW & ACT (ACS) told Kristina Keneally that the reforms announced by the Prime Minister on Monday failed to reassure the industry.
“We support a truly integrated system for aged care provided by one level of government – the Federal Government – and welcome aspects of the reforms around improved medical care and primary health services,” the letter said.
“However, the key issues of capital funding and appropriate indexation to care subsidies have been ignored by the federal government.”
ACS CEO, Jill Pretty, is concerned that the Commonwealth’s health reforms have overlooked the fundamental needs of aged care providers.
“We are all a little frustrated over the fact that aged care was very much an afterthought,” she said.
“It does appear that older people are being held to ransom in order to get the health reforms through and as it stands, the reform package will not meet the needs of a sustainable aged care system for the future.”
Ms Pretty said it was important that the premiers understood the issues facing aged care before they met at COAG to discuss the terms of reference for the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the sector.
“Kristina Keneally needs to understand that the package which was announced on Monday won’t meet the needs and it won’t actually assist in improving the interface with hospitals,” she said.
“We want to make the premier aware of the deficits in aged care so she can make informed decisions.”
The association approached the NSW Premier and Health Minister three weeks ago to discuss aged care reform but did not receive a response.
Western Australia’s aged care peak body also criticised the reforms announced by Kevin Rudd on Monday.
The CEO of Aged and Community Services of Western Australia, Stephen Kobelke, said the new measures only “skirted around” the problems facing the sector.
“The proposals put forward don’t address the fundamental problems hampering the provision of quality services in community and residential care in this state, they are instead band-aids and go nowhere to resolving the underlying issues,” he said.
“At best, the offering can only be viewed as a starting point and ACSWA will be urging the state government to seek further reforms from Canberra to achieve better outcomes in the delivery of robust aged care services for older people across our state.”
