After two years of hearings, the Senior Counsel made 124 recommendations to the Commissioners Tony Pagone QC, and Lynelle Briggs AO.
The last hearing continues today, after yesterday’s session.
While it’s certainly been a long road, much of what the two Senior Counsel proposed won’t come as a surprise to those who’ve been keeping a close eye on proceedings.
More interesting will be what happens next, and there were signs the Senior Counsel and Commissioner don’t see eye-to-eye on all the measures proposed.
The future of Australia’s aged care system
After listing the Royal Commission’s achievements, which include 10,144 submissions, 97 days of hearings, 34 aged care home visits, 14 research papers and eight background papers, the following key recommendations were delivered:
- A new Aged Care Act based on human rights principles.
- A new planning program for aged care which provides demand-driven access in place of the current rationed approach.
- A new and independent process for setting aged care Quality Standards.
- A new enforceable general duty of care on approved providers of aged care with penalties for failing to meet requirements.
- Mandated staffing ratios in residential aged care.
- Compulsory registration of personal care workers.
- An independent pricing authority.
- An independent Aged Care Commission to administer and regulate the system.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Quoting the late Commissioner Richard Tracey, Senior Counsel Assisting Peter Rozen QC reiterated the fact that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Australians to come together and create a better system for elderly Australians – our mums and dads.
The Senior Counsel labelled it, “the most in-depth and thorough examination of Australia’s aged care systems that has ever been undertaken”.
What’s next?
The Royal Commission will wrap up its final (and 99th) day of hearings today, with the second half of recommendations from Senior Counsel.
And then it’s over to the Commissioners.
There’s no guarantee they’ll take on the recommendations, and we won’t really know what the next step looks like until their Final Report is delivered in February.
But there’s hope that real, positive change can be delivered for the sector.
Watch this space.
