The country’s largest aged care peak bodies and providers have told the Federal Government that it needs to use the upcoming Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) to pump more funding into the sector to address an “immediate risk to senior Australians”.
“The fact is, without further investment, residential facilities – and associated home and community care services – will be lost in the next 12 months,” the group say in their statement.
“Industry analysis has suggested nearly 200 providers with up to 50,000 beds are operating at an unacceptably high level of financial risk.”
The group – which includes Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), Anglicare Australia, Baptist Care Australia, Catholic Health Australia, Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), The Aged Care Guild and UnitingCare Australia and represents both private and not-for-profit providers – says while the recent response by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to the Royal Commission’s Interim report was welcome, it only deals with “the tip of the iceberg” and the package is not enough to support older Australians entering residential care now.
“Around 15 per cent of providers have reported that they may need to close services in the next 12 months if circumstances do not improve,” the group states.
They want an urgent injection of funds to keep the system, saying this will go towards supporting the nearly 200,000 Australians living in residential care as well as its 360,000 staff.
There is no doubt that funding is critical to the sector’s survival – but what is just as important is its workforce.
We have providers telling us that they have had very few applicants for jobs in the last 12 to 18 months, with most of their Registered Nurses sourced from overseas and Personal Care Assistants – who provide personal care – very hard to find.
One director of aged care services blames the NDIS – because it requires staff to have no education – unlike residential care where staff must have a minimum of a Certificate III in aged care – plus higher rates of pay.
Add in the fact that aged care is a difficult and demanding job – and the Royal Commission is attracting negative media to the industry – it’s easy to see why staff are not being attracted to these positions.
He suggests the Government commit to raising the wages of all aged care workers by 15% now to head off this emergency – and we think it’s a proposal that ‘has legs’ as they say.
If we want to make sure our frail and vulnerable Mums and Dads receive the care they deserve in their later years, we need staff – and they need to be paid for their efforts.
We would urge you to speak to your local member – something has got to give soon. It shouldn’t be the care of our residents.
