Parliament to debate aged care legislation
Minister Butler has introduced the five bills that underpin aged care reform into the House of Represenatives for debate. The government now seeks the support of the Opposition, Greens and Independents to pass the bills.
By Yasmin Noone
Legislative change to cement aged care reform is now upon the sector, with five bills that propose amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 currently before members of the House of Representatives and up for debate.
The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, took the parliamentary floor yesterday and introduced five bills into the house which will underpin the Gillard Government’s $3.7 billion Living Longer. Living Better aged care reforms.
The bills reached their second reading but the debate was adjourned at the close of the parliamentary sitting.
The government will need the support of the Opposition, Greens and Independents to pass the bills through the House of Representatives.
Minister Butler told parliament when introducing the bills into the house yesterday that he was “delighted” to give effect to Living Longer. Living Better aged care reform.
“This is not change for change’s sake but change that will make a real difference to older Australians, to the people who love them, to the people who care for them, and to the aged-care workers who look after them,” Minister Butler said.
“Since the Aged Care Act 1997 first came into effect, the needs, demands and expectations of Australia’s ageing population have changed markedly. So too has the network of aged-care providers across residential and home care.
“The pressures on the system to provide quality, affordable and appropriate care are far greater than ever before and will only increase over coming decades.
“The system is now at a tipping point, faced with the pressure that comes from a population that is ageing and one which, quite rightly, has significant expectations and ideas about the aged-care services they will receive. Doing nothing is not an option.
“Making these changes to aged-care legislation will better enable aged-care providers to tackle these pressures and prepare with certainty for the future.
“It establishes the foundation that enables older Australians and their families to enter aged care, knowing that what they get will be quality care at the right price, and delivered where they want it, either in the home or in a residential setting.”
COTA Australia said although it has taken almost a year to introduce the legislation into parliament following the announcement of aged care reform in April 2012, it welcomes their introduction.
CEO of COTA, Ian Yates, said the legislation was a vital step in promised changes to aged care being put into action, given that providers, consumers, unions and professionals have been working hard for months now with government on detailed planning of implementation of the reforms.
“The legislation finally puts the detail of the reforms on the table so that we can look at it as a whole to ensure that the changes will fully meet the expectations of older people and their families,” Mr Yates said.
“These reforms will result in lots more in-home care services which support the majority of older people who prefer to stay in their own familiar environments, close to friends and family, for as long as possible.
“When the legislation passes we’ll also see older people have more say in the kind of aged care and support services they receive, where they get them, and who delivers them – for too long older people and their families have had to take what was on offer whether or not it suited their needs.
“In addition the creation of the Aged Care Gateway will provide information and support, and in due course access to timely and appropriate assessment of needs, which will reduce the angst for families struggling to find the services and support their loved ones need.
“In addition the reforms will provide sustainable financial foundations for the aged care industry into the future, due to stronger but fairer user charges for those who can afford to pay.
Aged care provider, UnitingCare Australia, said it also supported the tabled legislation and encourages all parties and Independents to also get behind the bills.
National director, Lin Hatfield Dodds, said the five bills will provide older Australians with better choice and access to a range of services and supports, regardless of their ability to pay.
“We believe these bills, if passed, will provide a crucial reform framework that will provide better choice and access to a range of aged care services and support for older Australians,” Ms Hatfield Dodds said.
There remains a great deal of information that is still unavailable to providers and consumers regarding LLLB(particularly costs).
I would urge caution on becoming prematurely euphoric over the perceived benefits of the legislation.
LLLB appears to have significant additional costs associated with it, which may well cause providers to again have to take cost reduction measures rather than improve services.
The real underlying change to the aged care system is to transfer the costs from goverment to the consumer.