Backlash over Queensland comments
Justine Elliot has been criticised for saying Queensland providers are inefficient.
A group of leading Queensland aged care providers have hit back at the Minister for Ageing after she accused them of being inefficient in a statement that was picked up by the Courier Mail.
Justine Elliot said in the original statement that over the last 10 years, Queensland aged care providers have received the highest funding increases in the nation, saying that there was scope for the Queensland sector to ensure its own long-term future through restructuring.
In the statement, Mrs Elliot referred to material from the Hogan report which indicated that the state’s aged care homes were some of the least efficient in Australia – worse only than those in Victoria.
She also referred to the Bentley’s/James Underwood and Associates National Residential Aged Care Survey 2005-06 which found that high care aged care homes in Queensland made higher surpluses than high care homes in all other jurisdictions.
“We provide record funding but they have to also improve their practices,” she said in the statement.
Mrs Elliot’s comments came just over a week after the Queensland aged care leaders formed an unprecedented alliance, calling for constructive discussion about the future funding of aged care.
Alliance members include, TriCare, Blue Care, RSL Care, Queensland Baptist Care and the Queensland Hibernian Association.
In a letter to the Courier Mail, the alliance leaders described the Minister’s comments as “unhelpful”.
The letter acknowledged that the Rudd Government had inherited an inadequate aged care funding system and said that with a $5.7 billion national shortfall, the Minister needed to give more serious attention to the aged care crisis.
“Our intention is not to get drawn into distracting political point scoring but bring attention to the problem and resolve it.
“We want to avoid a crash that would not only reduce the number and quality of nursing homes but also adversely affect the wider health system.”
The alliance leaders asked the Minister to stop “attackting the messengers” and to engage in an intelligent debate.
The Shadow Minister for Ageing, Margaret May also weighed into the debate, describing Mrs Elliot’s comments as an “attack” on Queensland’s aged care providers.
“What is the Minister thinking of when she comes out attacking aged care providers – a group of people who she needs to work constructively with to secure the future of older Australians,” she said in a statement.
“Aged care is at crisis point,” she added. “We’re already starting to see the signs with facilities being forced to close their doors, beds being under-subscribed and decisions being made at the board level to halt funding applications for further beds.”
Click here to see the full Ministerial statement on aged care data for Queensland from 19 June
