AN alliance of consumers, unions, health professionals and providers in the aged care sector will be watching closely as the May federal budget draws near to ensure the federal government acts on the recommendations in the Royal Commission final report.
At the beginning of April, the National Aged Care Alliance (the Alliance) wrote to the government and identified a list of recommendations it believes need to be actioned immediately as part of the government’s aged care reform commitment, to be announced in the Budget.
While the Government has yet to formally respond to the Royal Commission’s final report, we are expecting the federal budget due on Tuesday 11 May to include a substantial funding commitment over four years, and into the future.
We are also expecting a detailed response from the government taking in key recommendations of the Royal Commission. In particular, we expect immediate action on the following issues:
- Clear the Home Care Package Waiting List and establish the new Care at Home Program
- Establish an Implementation Taskforce with independent and government membership to commence implementing the Royal Commission’s recommendations including publishing and committing to a timetable for reform implementation
- Draft a new Aged Care Act based on human rights
- Establish key bodies for System Governance
- Commit to an agreement to increase aged care sector wages
- Commit to and invest in a co-design process with older Australians, their informal carers and the sector to inform the development of the new aged care program
- Set a minimum quality and safety standard for staff time in residential aged care
- Establish a workforce education and training fund to improve care quality
- Provide immediate funding increases to ensure care needs are met
- Commit to funding the delivery of culturally safe and trauma informed care and services to diverse and marginalised groups
- Commit to transparent and rigorous performance indicators to support consumer choice and quality improvement
The identification of these priorities for immediate investment is not intended to represent a view on the importance of any other specific recommendations or on the importance of a comprehensive Government response to the final report of the Royal Commission.
Formed in 2000, the Alliance represents 54 peak national organisations in aged care, comprising consumer groups, providers, unions and health professionals, working together to determine a more positive future for aged care in Australia.
The Alliance’s goal is to ensure that every older Australian is able to live well, with dignity and independence, as part of their community and in a place of their choosing, with a choice of appropriate and affordable support and care services when they need them.
The full statement of these priorities can be viewed here.
Story source: https://naca.asn.au/
Image source: pexels-pixabay-34761
Ryan Fritz
Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities and currently works at Redkite, a childhood cancer charity.
