Shadow Minister for Aged Care Anne Ruston has reiterated the Opposition's offer of bipartisan support for aged care reforms that support the financial sustainability of the sector - but said she is disappointed the Government has not consulted more widely on the Aged Care Taskforce recommendations.
“The Leader of the Opposition made clear in his last Budget in Reply speech last year that the Opposition would support sensible measures put forward by the Government to ensure that our aged care system is sustainable into the future," she told The SOURCE.
“However, it is disappointing that the Government has failed to have this conversation with older Australians by releasing details on the reforms they are considering for the future financing of our aged care sector."
FWC decision
Senator Ruston said the Opposition was disappointed the Government did not include new information about the Fair Work Commission's (FWC's) latest Work Value wage decisions in the Budget.
“The Budget has also failed to provide any clear details on the next stage of the Fair Work Commission’s aged care pay rise case, including how much it will cost, who will receive it, and whether it will be fully funded – because we know aged care providers were forced to pay the on-costs of stage 1 and some home care workers were shortchanged," she said.
24,100 new home care packages vs 50,000 waiting list
The release of 24,100 home care packages was fewer than the Opposition would have liked to see.
“At a time when waiting lists for home care packages have blown out and we know that the next generation of older Australians will want to stay in their own homes for longer, the Budget has only provided an additional 24,100 home care packages.
“This compares to the 50,000 older Australians who we know are on the wait list right now."
“So the Budget fails to even deal with the current demand for home care, let alone prepare for the next generation.
“Recent data has shown that some of the most vulnerable older Australians are waiting as long as an entire year to get access to a home care package. Wait times for level 3 packages have blown out to 9-12 months, while the wait times for level 4 packages have risen to 6-9 months.”
