4 years ago
CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO FIX AUSTRALIA’S BROKEN AGED CARE SYSTEM
Julie Collins MP
The Morrison Government must listen to the growing chorus of voices calling for urgent action to fix Australia’s broken aged care system.
Today’s submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) again highlights the issues the Government could fix now.
The AMA’s submission to the Commission joins others from industry and employee groups, unions, consumer advocates and ordinary older Australians calling for action now.
Labor has repeatedly said the Government must act now on what we know is wrong in Australia’s aged care system rather than waiting for the final report of the Royal Commission.
This call has only been made more urgent by the six month extension that was recently given to the Commission to deliver its final report.
There is not one part of Australia’s aged care system that isn’t impacted by crisis.
120,000 older Australians are waiting for aged care at home, with wait times now more than two years for the highest levels of care.
A week doesn’t go by without another disturbing account emerging about the mistreatment or neglect of older Australians in residential care.
There aren’t enough aged care workers and they aren’t paid enough. Australia is far from having the workforce that is required to care for our ageing population.
The Liberals have been asleep at the wheel for six years, with four Ministers and billions ripped out while Australia’s aged care system has lurched from one crisis to another.
It is shameful that in a wealthy country like Australia older people can’t get the care they need.
Scott Morrison and the Government must act now to ensure older Australians get the quality aged care services they deserve– older Australians and their loved ones can’t afford to wait any longer.
Today’s submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) again highlights the issues the Government could fix now.
The AMA’s submission to the Commission joins others from industry and employee groups, unions, consumer advocates and ordinary older Australians calling for action now.
Labor has repeatedly said the Government must act now on what we know is wrong in Australia’s aged care system rather than waiting for the final report of the Royal Commission.
This call has only been made more urgent by the six month extension that was recently given to the Commission to deliver its final report.
There is not one part of Australia’s aged care system that isn’t impacted by crisis.
120,000 older Australians are waiting for aged care at home, with wait times now more than two years for the highest levels of care.
A week doesn’t go by without another disturbing account emerging about the mistreatment or neglect of older Australians in residential care.
There aren’t enough aged care workers and they aren’t paid enough. Australia is far from having the workforce that is required to care for our ageing population.
The Liberals have been asleep at the wheel for six years, with four Ministers and billions ripped out while Australia’s aged care system has lurched from one crisis to another.
It is shameful that in a wealthy country like Australia older people can’t get the care they need.
Scott Morrison and the Government must act now to ensure older Australians get the quality aged care services they deserve– older Australians and their loved ones can’t afford to wait any longer.