Sector confidently awaits COAG decision
Aged care leaders remain hopeful for reform, as the country awaits a COAG meeting resolution.
If the Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting does not deliver the long awaited, necessary aged-care reforms the sector is hopeful for, a second chance may not be around the corner anytime soon.
For this reason that CEO of Catholic Health Care Australia, Martin Laverty, is encouraging the state’s premiers and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to take “as long as they need to get health reform right.”
Mr Laverty hopes the COAG meeting will deliver the right reforms the first time around so that a second chance won’t be needed.
“We are confident that the premiers understand the importance and the need to change aged care… [and that] the government has heard our needs,” Mr Laverty said.
The COAG meeting, which started yesterday morning, is expected to continue well into the afternoon as state premiers and the Prime Minister battle it out over health reform and the desired level of funding.
It is also anticipated that the government will provide the terms of reference to the Productivity Commission, as part of an announcement when the COAG meeting resumes.
Mr Laverty explained the ideal, three issues the Productivity Commission enquiry should address in order to rehabilitate the aged care system.
“One – how can reform be carried out to give consumers choice in how choose appropriate aged care service? Two – how can the system be improved to guarantee access so older Australians so they can receive care in residential services or in their own homes when they need it?
“Lastly, how can the Productivity Commission provide a blueprint for sustainability of residential and in-home care services for the future?
“If [governments] don’t look at choice, access and sustainability now, it will be a long time before there is any change in aged care.
The main priority for Aged and Community Services Australia’s CEO, Greg Mundy, is that the COAG meeting delivers on the Commonwealth’s plan for an integrated aged care system under federal control.
The desired outcome is an “integrated health system, more money and better financial arrangements for aged care,” Mr Mundy said.
“As long as the financial response to aged care is separated [between two levels of government], it’s hard to get the figures right.
A unified system would improve aged care information and assessment services and allow older people to move from in-home care to residential care, as their care needs changed.
“The thing we keep pointing out to the politicians is that we need to focus on the whole of the health system and to ensure that the incentives are in the right place to provide linked up care for individuals.
“We really need aged care to have a seat at the table, with the government, in order to get it right.”
