Senate supports the sector
The Senate has shown its support for the sector, passing a motion which calls for the lower house to take action to increase aged care funding.
Aged care providers were handed a powerful lobbying tool yesterday, gaining Senate support for their call to the federal government to put an end the current funding crisis and increase sector subsidies.
During one of the last parliamentary sitting days of the year, the Senate voted in favour of a Greens motion which called upon the Commonwealth to address the widening gap in aged care funding.
The motion urged the government to restore the two per cent conditional adjustment payment as an interim measure to address the aged care crisis.
The Senate also requested that the Commonwealth pay attention to the “yawning gap between the cost of living and the funding provided” and expressed “concern at the impact of recent increases in electricity and water prices of 18.8 per cent on levels of care and the ongoing viability of many aged care services”.
Greens spokesperson for Health and Ageing, Senator Rachel Siewert, said she was motivated to move the motion following the announcement that the consumer price index (CPI) for the September quarter was 2.8 per cent.
This figure, she said, exists in stark contrast to the current Commonwealth aged care subsidy of just 1.7 per cent, which obviously fails to meet the cost of care.
“The sector is facing a constant barrage of cost increases, the funding gap is widening every day and yet federal assistance is not being adjusted accordingly,” Senator Siewert said.
“Such increases dramatically impact an organisation’s ability to remain viable, retain staff and utilise their full quota of allocated aged care places.
“The restoration of the conditional adjustment payment is a necessary first step to keep aged care services afloat and should be followed by systemic reform.”
While the Senate motion does not compel the lower house of parliament to increase aged care funding levels, the recommendation places greater pressure on the federal government to increase subsidies.
It also provides the sector with a very strong show of support, which can be used to draw attention to the issues when lobbying the Commonwealth for action.
CEO of Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), Greg Mundy, said that gaining Senate support should certainly encourage the sector that change is possible.
“It’s good to know that our message is getting through and recognition, in the form of a Senate motion, shows further support for our issues,” said Mr Mundy.
“The motion does not [guarantee] any immediate action as a consequence but it does send a powerful message to the upper house that aged care needs more funding.
“More and more people agree with the proposition and fewer and fewer are challenging it.”
