Prices, wait times, reform on pollies’ agendas

Politicians across the spectrum have indicated the aged care sector remains a national priority – with representatives from the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and the Australian Greens all sharing their aims for the sector with Australian Ageing Agenda.

Meanwhile, following last week’s election wrap from four advocacy bodies, Council of the Ageing Australia has called for the introduction of a seniors dental benefit scheme, an increase in rental assistance for eligible seniors and innovative programs to help older women find affordable housing as part of measures it hopes to see implemented. Anglicare Australia’s Dignity in Ageing election statement has called for:

• an aged care system that delivers quality care when and where people need it
• funding that reflects the true cost of delivering aged care
• secure housing designed for older people in the communities they call home
• an aged care workforce that is properly paid, valued, and supported
• community-based initiatives that keep people connected as they age.

While commitments made by the three major parties somewhat align with the COTA and Anglicare Australia’s election priorities, there is no clear bipartisanship, with each party emphasising different priorities.

Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Anne Ruston of the Liberal Party said a Dutton Coalition Government woull support all older Australians to age with dignity, choice and control, with the goal of working towards “no Australian waiting for the care they have been assessed as needing.”

“Under Labor, the wait list for home care packages has almost tripled in less than two years with 83,000 older Australians now on the national priority waitlist, and wait times have skyrocketed up to 15 months. The most vulnerable older Australians are being left waiting longer than a year before they can access the care they have been assessed as needing,” Ms Ruston told AAA.

“This is unacceptable.

“The Coalition has a proven record of reducing wait time and increasing access to home care services. Fixing the waitlist crisis created by this Labor Government will be priority of an elected Dutton Coalition Government.”

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells emphasised to AAA the Albanese Labor Government would always be committed to better outcomes for older Australians.

“Our government has delivered once-in-a-generation aged care reforms, secured record pay rises for workers and increased the quality and safety of care for older Australians,” they said.

“There is now a registered nurse onsite in aged care more than 99 per cent of the time.

“Older Australians are receiving an extra 4.8 million minutes of care every single day.”

The spokesperson also told AAA there has been a statistically significant decrease in the proportion of residents experiencing polypharmacy, antipsychotic medication use, falls that result in major injury, use of physical restraints, significant unplanned weight loss and consecutive unplanned weight loss.

Australian Greens spokesperson for older people Penny Allman-Payne said in this election, the Greens were focused on ensuring older people got the quality care they needed, with a focus on making care more accessible.

“Aged care should prioritise people, not profits, which is why the Greens are committed to creating a universally accessible and accountable system that is centred on human rights and community wellbeing,” Ms Allman-Payne told AAA.

Ms Allman-Paye also shared the Greens’ plan to spend over $1 billion to:

• enact a human rights-based approach to aged care
• reduce home care wait times to 30 days
• strengthen governance requirements in aged care
• establish a National Aged Care Redress Scheme to recognise and repair the harm caused by neglect and abuse.

Ms Ruston said the Liberal Party was also focused on ensuring appropriate transition arrangements were in place for the sector to implement the upcoming reforms.

“During the passage of the [new] Aged Care Act, it became clear that this government’s implementation timeline is nothing more than a political deadline. That is why we moved amendments to ensure a smooth transition, but Labor voted them down at every opportunity. Now we are seeing the impact of their failed transition arrangements with older Australians and providers left in the dark,” she told AAA.

It is critical, added Ms Ruston, that Australians are provided all of the information required to fully understand the changes ahead and that by failing to be ready in time and provide the necessary information, the Albanese Government is risking older Australians’ access to high quality care as many providers now face breaking point. 

She said a Dutton Coalition Government would prioritise the more than 800,000 people who rely on the Commonwealth Home Support Program for community-based care services who have been left behind by Labor. 

“We cannot afford to wait any longer to understand how this program will transition to Support at Home,” she told AAA.

“We will place priority on the planning and integration of the Commonwealth Home Support Program to Support at Home. The Coalition has raised concerns on behalf of older Australians time and time again because it is shocking that this government does not have a plan, and that is why we are committed to providing certainty for older Australians.”

The spokesperson for Ms Wells told AAA: “We are continuing to progress the major reforms of the new Aged Care Act ahead of July 1 and remain committed to ensuring older Australians live with dignity and safety.”

The spokesperson also reiterated that the Albanese Labor Government has invested $17.7 billion to increase the award wages of aged care workers.

“Under the Albanese Labor Government, registered nurses working in aged care on the award wage are $430 a week better off, enrolled nurses are $370 a week better off, and personal care workers are $320 a week better off,” they said.

For the Greens, Ms Allman-Payne said financial inaccessibility must be addressed, stating the party’s desire to raise the rate of the age pension so that “people aren’t struggling to pay for the basics.”

“Poverty is a policy choice, and keeping age pensioners in poverty is a choice the Coalition and Labor continue to make,” she said.

“In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford the basics.”

This is an issue COTA Australia – an advocacy organisation for seniors – has demanded action on, saying older Australians want politicians to commit to a range of cost-of-living measures in the lead up to the federal election.

COTA Australia chief executive Patricia Sparrow said its federal election agenda is a practical and achievable list of some of the key issues facing older people that need urgent action.

“Every election is important, but this one is especially important for shaping how we as a country support our ageing population,” Ms Sparrow said.

“We’re asking all the candidates and parties to consider what we need to do to support an ageing Australia.

“Getting it right for this generation is an investment for current and future generations of older people.”

Anglicare Australia’s executive director Kasy Chambers said everyone has the right to live well and with dignity as they age, and the Dignity in Ageing position statement sets out the changes needed to ensure all Australians can continue to live healthy, connected, and dignified lives as they age.

“Yet too many older Australians are living in poverty, going without support, or being forced to uproot their lives to get the care they need,” Ms Chambers said.

“The current government has had a strong focus on reforming Australia’s aged care system. These reforms were badly needed and long overdue. But we also know we need to focus on supporting older people before they need to enter aged care as well.

“We know that many older Australians, particularly those who rent, are retiring into poverty. Others are struggling to stay connected to their communities as they age. Some are waiting over 12 months just to access the care and support they’re entitled to.

“Our new position statement calls for action to change that. That includes building more affordable and accessible housing, boosting income support, investing in social connection, and properly funding aged care.”

Comment on the story below. Follow Australian Ageing Agenda on LinkedIn and Facebook, sign up to our twice-weekly newsletter and subscribe to AAA magazine for the complete aged care picture.