A YEAR OF INACTION AND SLOW PROGRESS

Today marks a year since the release of the Carnell-Paterson Report into aged care regulation and since this time the Liberals have done too little to progress this important body of work. 

The Liberal Government has fully implemented just one of the report’s ten recommendations.

  

Labor called for the implementation of the one recommendation it has clearly introduced – unannounced reaccreditation audits for residential aged care facilities - six months before the Government adopted it.

 

Legislation to enact another of the review’s recommendation – the creation of a new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission – is yet to be debated in the Senate.

 

The new Commission is meant to begin on 1 January, 2019.

 

The Government cannot use the Royal Commission as an excuse to delay action on progressing this work now.

 

The inaction fits a pattern for the Liberal Government – it has sat on more than a dozen reports and reviews into aged care and done little.

 

To date the Liberals have responded to less than half of the recommendations of the Tune Review into aged care.

 

The Carnell-Paterson Report reaffirmed what we already know – the regulation of aged care is letting too many older Australians down.

 

It is clear the current regulatory framework that should be protecting older Australians in care is not working.

 

The current reporting of complaints in Australia’s residential aged care facilities is overly complex and accessing information about specific complaints and accreditation failures is also difficult.

 

Labor is concerned the Government’s new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner will not have strong enough powers to protect consumers.

 

The Government’s legislative response was a missed opportunity to give the new Commission stronger powers given the level of public concern and we still don’t know when this will pass the Parliament.

It is critical to the future of the aged care sector that families can have faith and confidence their loved ones will be safe and receive a high level of care in residential facilities.

 

Scott Morrison and the Liberals must do better to ensure older Australians get the quality aged care services they need.