Ruston and Wells address providers
Anne Ruston used the Invox National Support at Home conference to try and convince providers the Liberal Party will reduce wait times and be more receptive of sector needs, while Anika Wells reiterated Labor’s action on and commitment to aged care.
Shadow minister for aged care Anne Ruston used her time at day one of the Invox National Support at Home conference to express discontent with the timelines presented by the government to implement the aged care reforms.
While some attendees were not impressed with the political use of the time – writing via the Zoom live link they came to hear about the Support at Home program, not politics – another expressed gratitude that Ms Ruston took questions at the end.
Alongside concern about increased waiting times, Ms Ruston told the Melbourne and online audience of more than 700 of the need for politicians to listen, and assured the audience she would do so if she was the sector’s minister.
She also said she heard panellist Richard Crosbie “loud and clear,” on the complexity of accessing aged care in the previous session and that she understands the “uniqueness of the challenges” the sector is currently facing, as well as recognises the importance of getting the transition right so it doesn’t negatively impact older Australians or impede on providers’ ability to provide care.
Ms Ruston acknowledged the reforms would “deliver us a great opportunity to do some really good things in this sector,” but raised concern the government was lacking in understanding the complexity of implementing the reforms, critiquing the “unconsulted policy” coming from Canberra as “destined to get it wrong.”
“Good public policy is developed when you actually speak to the people who are delivering it and the people who are impacted by it,” Ms Ruston said. It has become “increasingly clear” over the last few months that the transition is not going “as well as the government promised that it would,” she said.
“But instead of admitting the fact that we need to do some things differently to make sure that we get these reforms in place, we seem to have a government that is increasingly using you as a sector as a scapegoat for their own failings,” she told delegates on Tuesday.
Minister
Meanwhile, on day two of the conference, Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells reminded the audience from a pre-recorded video address that the first bill passed in the 47th parliament was for aged care, and that the Aged Care Taskforce was a Labor Party creation.
“I wholeheartedly believe the Albanese government’s $4.3 billion investment in Support at Home will serve the needs of older people in Australia now and into the future. It will support older people to be active participants of their communities, not passive recipients of care. Under Support at Home, we’re increasing the maximum level of support available by over 25 per cent – from $61,000 to $78,000,” she said.
She noted that Labor was ensuring faster access to assistive technology and home modifications – an aspect of SaH that was recently criticised by the Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association and post-polio survivors, Occupational Therapy Australia and Home Modifications Australia.
She also reminded the audience a temporary boost in funding will be available to those who need extra restorative and allied health support, and that for the first time, palliative care support will be delivered.
Alongside these changes, Ms Wells said SaH would cut wait times through the delivery of 107,000 additional home care places across the home care package and SaH programs and will increase the number of people able to live at home to 300,000.
“I know there are some who say ‘this is not enough, more needs to be done.’ Once-in-a-generation reform isn’t easy. I don’t shy away from that fact, but this reform is worth the work,” said Ms Wells.
Ms Ruston referred to the current wait times under Labor as “spiralling out of control.”
“Quite frankly Australians are dying waiting for aged care packages. This is absolutely, completely unacceptable and clearly something that must be a priority moving forward,” Ms Ruston said.
Ms Wells gave two assurances to delegates:
- if re-elected, her first meeting will be with chair of the Aged Care Taskforce Anne Burgess
- the commission will not hassle providers for not having everything completely implemented by day one.
“We know structural reform takes time and 1 July is a milestone on the journey, not the end goal,” Ms Wells said. “The government is here to work with you, not against you, and our top priority is making sure older Australians continue to receive the support they need.”
Ms Wells concluded by acknowledging that delivering SaH is challenging and that if it was easy it would have been done already.
“Remember where we have come from and where we’re going to be after this,” she said.
“The Aged Care Act provides a new and enduring foundation for Australian aged care from 1 July 2025 and for years to come. From then on, aged care will put the rights of older people first. The system will be fair and financially sustainable.
“The new Support at Home program will help us to live independently in our own homes for as long as possible. We cannot let aged care take a step back. The only way is forward.”
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