Eyes steadfastly on reforms
Catholic Health Australia and COTA say ‘internal adjustments’ won’t stop essential reforms, following the news yesterday of ACCV and ACQ’s withdrawal from ACSA and the establishment of a new national industry association.
A leading association representing older Australians and one of the largest networks of Church aged care providers in the country have combined voices to urge unity and continued momentum within the aged care sector for essential reforms.
On a day when the peak national industry association representing not for profit aged care providers was rejected by two of its largest member states – Queensland and Victoria –Catholic Health Australia (CHA) and COTA have asserted a strong sense of unity among the aged care sector.
They say the momentum for reform is unstoppable and, despite Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV) and Aged Care Queensland (ACQ), withdrawing from Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) yesterday and the establishment of a new industry association, Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), this will not affect the sector’s focus and push for urgent aged care reform.
COTA chief executive, Ian Yates said, “Internal adjustments as to how aged care industry associations organise themselves will not impact the momentum for aged care change. There is great unity across aged care providers, aged care consumers and workers in aged care services to put the interests of older Australians first and continue on the path to aged care reform.”
Catholic Health Australia CEO, Martin Laverty, said, “Aged care providers around Australia are focused on securing aged care as an entitlement for older Australians, to ensuring older Australians have better choice in the types of services they can access and restoring the financial sustainability of aged care services themselves.”
The two organisations say work with the Government through the National Aged Care Alliance (NACA), of which both COTA and CHA are founding members, on different elements of the proposed reforms has been progressing well and support from the Opposition for implementation of the Productivity Commission’s aged care recommendations is also encouraging.
Mr Yates and Mr Laverty said their groups will continue to work closely with all organisations that are committed to bringing about much-needed aged care reform in Australia, starting with the 2012-13 Federal Budget.
