The Coalition has repeated its call for major reform in the aged care sector after yet another report highlighted the shortfall in aged care places.
Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Shadow Minister for Ageing and Shadow Minister for Mental Health, said the report by Access Economics confirms that there is a crisis in aged care.
“There must be a major overhaul in Australia’s aged care system and the Coalition has a comprehensive plan to do this,” Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.
“The Coalition’s Ageing election policy acknowledged that there are around 3,000 patients in public hospitals every night who should be in aged care. A four-year agreement with the sector, as outlined in the Coalition’s policy, would provide certainty for aged care providers.
“The Gillard Labor Government has a draft report, Caring for Older Australians, from the Productivity Commission which contains a comprehensive analysis of the aged care system.
“The Government has said it will act after it receives the final report, which is due in June, but it is already widely acknowledged that major reform is required. Almost 500 submissions to the Productivity Commission reflected that there was a need for reform.
“As revealed at Senate Estimates this week the Gillard Labor Government cannot even meet its own deadline to have the much-talked about one-stop shops for aged care in place by the middle of the year.
“If the Prime Minister and Health Minister were serious about reform they would not have ignored ageing and mental health in the latest round of so-called health reforms.
“Reform is needed now and in aged care it is needed with the input of aged care providers, health professionals, families, carers and most importantly, older Australians.”