It’s the question that aged care providers must be asking this week after yet another missed opportunity for the Government and the Coalition to reach agreement on a sustainable way forward for the sector.
As we report in this issue, the political impasse between the two parties will see the introduction of the new Aged Care Act to Parliament – and with it, the Government’s response to the Aged Care Taskforce – delayed to at least mid-October.
That is another $300 million that the sector is missing out on in just four weeks.
In worse news, this likely leaves no time for the rumoured Senate inquiry and the usual Parliamentary processes ahead of the Federal election due next year.
That means aged care will not headline in the next Budget – and is unlikely to get a look-in again until at least 2025-26 – 18 months’ away.
That means no guarantee of future funding certainty for providers.
No new aged care beds being built.
No optimism to grow and expand.
And it will be older Australians and their families who will suffer.
100,000 Australians have turned 80 since the Taskforce was established
The Aged Care Taskforce was established in May 2023 as part of the 2023-24 Federal Budget to review the funding of aged care.
Based on our back-of-envelope calculations, around 100,000 Australians have turned 80 in the 15 months since then. At the same time, the sector has only built around at most a couple of thousand aged care beds – and many more have closed.
The maths doesn’t add up.
How many more families will be driving across town looking for a bed – and find none?
Families racing to secure a bed
Every week, we hear more stories of adult children being asked by facility managers to bring Mum or Dad in that day – or risk losing out on a place.
Imagine having to tell your parent that they must leave their home today – or they could be waiting many more months for care and support.
This is probably not a problem that our politicians will have to worry about – according to media reports, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is now earning over $600K a year while his counterpart Peter Dutton is taking home over $430K.
It is a problem that is not going away for thousands of families over the coming years unless the politicians get their act together.
The ship is sinking – the Government and Opposition need to throw aged care a lifesaver already.
