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Opposition Budget Reply to Parliament 2022 (Excerpt)
AGED CARE
Tonight, I’m announcing Labor’s plan to put security, dignity, quality and humanity
ack into aged care.
Put simply: to put the care back into aged care.
The global pandemic and a Royal Commission have confirmed what so many
Australians already knew – our aged care system is in crisis.
More of us are living long enough to need extra care in our later years.
But cu
ently that thought fills a generation of Australians and their families with
dread.
Older Australians fear that the final chapter of their life will be an aged care facility
where they are not properly cared for, let alone afforded real dignity.
Their children wrestle with the dilemma of sending them to a place that might not be
good enough, versus the risk of leaving them at home when it’s becoming unsafe for
them to be on their own.
We’ve all been chilled by stories of unforgivable neglect.
Maggots in wounds.
People going days without fresh air, a shower, or a change of clothes.
Stories of residents lying on the floor, crying out in pain, and nobody is there to help
them.
It goes against everything we are as Australians.
And while our loved ones suffer…
…and their carers, mostly women, are underpaid and overworked…
…some of the operators running these places are doing very well.
It’s no coincidence that COVID swept through some aged care facilities with such
deadly force – because for far too long the Liberals have turned a blind eye to
operators who put profit ahead of the people in their care.
The simple truth of it is this: the Liberals have had a decade to do something about
Aged Care.
Even an Interim Royal Commission Report – with the searing title “Neglect” – wasn’t
enough to spur them into action.
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If they are left in power, nothing will change - and the bleak present they have
created will be the bleak future awaiting so many more Australians.
Now I know there are many facilities out there that do a magnificent job caring for
people.
I know aged care workers show up every day and do their absolute best with what
they have, showing love and respect for those in their care.
And they will be the first to tell you that the system is at
eaking point.
If we want to change aged care in this country for the better, then we need to start by
changing the government.
Tonight, I announce five concrete, practical measures a Labor Government will
implement to ensure older Australians receive the aged care they deserve:
One.
Under a Labor Government, every aged care facility will be required to have a
egistered, qualified nurse on site, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We are going to put nurses back into nursing homes.
This will save thousands of stressful, expensive and ultimately unnecessary trips to
hospital Emergency Departments, for issues a nurse could solve on the spot.
Because every Australian living in aged care should get the medical attention they
need, the moment they need it, day or night.
This is just common sense – and it is common decency.
Two.
We are going to raise the standard of aged care across the board – by ensuring
there are more carers, who have more time to care.
We will mandate that every Australian living in aged care receives a minimum of 215
minutes of care per day, as recommended by the Royal Commission.
That means more care for every resident, every day.
So, if you have a loved one in aged care, you can be certain they will get more time
with a registered nurse and more time with enrolled nurses and personal care
workers.
Not just for essential medical treatment – but basic, important things like helping
people take a shower, get dressed, eat a meal.
And – also - the time to talk. The chance to have a conversation that isn’t about
medication or hygiene or a sudden emergency.
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Some company and human interaction, especially on those days when family can’t
visit.
A reminder that our older Australians aren’t a just number, they aren’t a burden.
They are people who deserve respect, courtesy, and the best possible attention.
Three.
A Labor Government I lead will back a real pay rise for aged care workers.
At the start of this year, the Prime Minister announced a one-off, pre-election
payment for aged care workers.
This week it was reported that over 90% of them still hadn’t received a cent.
That is this Government in a nutshell. A big announcement, no delivery. Too little.
Too late.
Labor knows that these carers - who work long hours doing such important and often
ack
eaking work - are underpaid and undervalued, with some earning as little as
$22 an hour.
Unlike this Prime Minister who won’t take any responsibility, a Labor Government
won’t muck around.
We’ll support the workers’ call for better pay at the Fair Work Commission.
And a Labor Government will fund the outcome of this case.
Because if we want higher standards of care – we need to support higher wages for
our carers.
We know if we want to recruit and retain more carers to look after a population that’s
growing older…
…we need to treat their vital and essential work with respect…
…and reward it with better pay.
Four
Better food for residents.
A really hard part of growing old and losing some of your independence, is not being
able to cook for yourself, let alone visitors or family.
For most of us, meals are something we look forward to. A daily ritual that
ings us
together, gives us moments of joy.
This makes it all the more outrageous when the food served up to some Australians
in aged care is a scandal itself.
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The interim Royal Commission report found that over half of aged care residents
were not getting enough nutrition. They are literally starving.
We’re going to change that.
A Labor Government will work with the sector to develop and implement mandatory
nutrition standards for aged care homes to ensure every resident gets good food.
Tasty and nutritious meals which respect cultural, religious and dietary requirements.
Five
Part of our plan to fix the Aged Care crisis is about integrity and accountability.
Labor will deliver new funding, more staff and better support to the aged care sector.
And I am determined to see that every single dollar of that investment goes to better
care for people.
We will work with multicultural communities to support culturally appropriate care,
ecause we know that many older people revert to the language of their birth in their
later years.
We will give the Aged Care Safety Commissioner new powers.
And we will make residential care providers report – in public and in detail – what
they are spending money on.
The days of residents going without decent food and clean clothes will come to an
end.
• Registered nurses on site 24/7
• More carers with more time to care.
• A pay rise for aged care workers.
• Better food for residents.
• Dollars going to care.
That’s how a Labor Government will solve the crisis in aged care.
Aged care reform: projecting future impacts
AGED CARE REFORM:
PROJECTING FUTURE IMPACTS
RESEARCH PAPER 11
SEPTEMBER 2020
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was established by
Letters Patent on 8 October XXXXXXXXXXReplacement Letters Patent were issued on
6 December 2018, and amended on 13 September 2019 and 25 June 2020.
The Honourable Tony Pagone QC and Ms Lynelle Briggs AO have been appointed
as Royal Commissioners. They are required to provide a final report by
26 Fe
uary 2021.
The Royal Commission releases consultation, research and background papers.
This research paper has been prepared by Deloitte Access Economics for the
information of Commissioners and the public. The views expressed in this paper
are not necessarily the views of the Commissioners.
This paper was published on 7 September 2020.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2020
ISBN XXXXXXXXXXonline)
With the exception of the Coat of Arms and where otherwise
stated, all material presented in this publication is provided
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
For the avoidance of doubt, this means this licence only applies
to material as set out in this document.
The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on
the Creative Commons website as is the full legal code for the
CC BY 4.0 licence
.
The terms under which the Coat of Arms can be used are detailed
on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website
www.dpmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms>.
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Aged care reform: projecting future impacts
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Aged care reform: projecting
future impacts
A report for the Royal Commission
into Aged Care Quality and Safety
July 2020
Aged care reform: projecting future impacts
This report has