Aged care advocates and MPs have grown increasingly frustrated over secrecy and delays shrouding reforms that are hoped to transform how people are cared for at the end of their lives. or signup to continue reading With less than eight parliamentary sitting weeks left in 2024, there are fears legislation to establish a rights-based aged care act will be sidelined until after the next election. There are also concerns over the government's deferred response to , that will ultimately map out how people pay for their care.
Chief executive of the Older Persons Advocacy Network Craig Gear told ACM, publisher of this masthead, advocates were not looking for "perfect" but urgently wanted a package brought forward for public view. "If you delay this out by another couple of years, and as the population gets older, we're just going to have people stuck in hospital," Mr Gear said. "The fundamental thing is getting the funding model right because we want a sustainable aged care system but at the same time not giving up the rights or the support at home program because they [the government] can't come to an agreement on funding.
"We've got to fund aged care and we can work that out over time - so we are saying, you've got to put it in now." It's understood the government is still trying to secure bipartisanship with the Coalition over key measures put forward by its taskforce, including a proposal to increase lifetime contributions for residential aged care. A spokesperson for Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said "daily" discussions with the Coalition were under way to ensure the government "gets it right.
" "We are working to introduce the new to Parliament as soon as possible," they said. Australia's population is ageing rapidly, with the number of people aged 80 and over expected to double by 2050. The aged care sector, which has shed a significant portion of its workforce in the past two decades, .
Industry sources said residential aged care providers were growing increasingly nervous over political delays as they will need at least two years to prepare and adjust to a new system. Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie, whose electorate of Mayo includes a high number of senior Australians, said a lack of detail around the government's progress was "perplexing". "I fear this has been pushed back on the government's agenda," Ms Sharkie told ACM "This week after talking with many in the aged care sector I realise that fear is shared and that we are running out of time to scrutinise and pass the bill in this Parliament.
" Greens spokesperson for aged care, senator Penny Allman-Payne, said a radical shift was needed to change how aged care was provided in Australia. "Action is urgently needed, but the community must be given enough time to properly consider and respond to this legislation," she said. Eleanor Campbell is a political reporter based in the Federal Press Gallery.
You can reach her at [email protected].
au or [email protected] Eleanor Campbell is a political reporter based in the Federal Press Gallery.
You can reach her at [email protected].
au or [email protected] DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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