Aged care providers in Adelaide to demand changes from government
On Monday Adelaide will host 1200 people in the aged care industry – and providers already have an idea of how much it’ll cost to start fixing its many problems.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Aged care providers are warning that urgent reforms and $1.3 billion in federal funding are desperately needed to overhaul the troubled sector.
The calls come ahead of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, prompted by the Oakden nursing home scandal, releasing its findings in an interim report on Thursday.
More than 1200 people from the age services industry including the US, China and New Zealand will on Monday descend on Adelaide’s Convention Centre to hear from the head of the nation’s peak body, Leading Aged Services Australia.
“We need urgent action right now to avert the risk of service failures, job losses and missed care,” chief executive Sean Rooney said.
“LASA and the age services sector are backing the Royal Commission into Aged CareQuality and Safety 100 per cent but critical issues of support for our workforce, funding and reform must be addressed to broadly sustain quality care over the next year.”
Sixteen priorities are the backbone of a sector-wide campaign being launched, including:
A $1.3 BILLION investment from the Commonwealth to ensure residential aged care service quality over the next 18 months.
MAXIMUM wait times for home care packages to be no longer than three months.
BOND reforms so residents can access their funds if a provider goes into administration.
RESEARCH to inform staffing requirements in nursing homes.
Influencing federal MPs will be the focus a push for changes in the lead-up to the December budget update.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck is attending the three-day conference but did not respond to questions from The Advertiser by deadline.
SA will play a key role in a new national centre for workforce development being established by LASA, in conjunction with training providers. Workers in aged care will be offered education in dementia awareness, nutrition, customer service and complaints management to improve care.
Mr Rooney said the centre was a direct response to issues raised during Royal Commission hearings. Aged-care advocates expect the royal commission to recommend ending the sector’s culture of secrecy over complaints, neglect and assaults.
The commission, which has received 6732 submissions, will on Thursday release its initial findings. It has been extended and is now due to hand down its final report by November 12 next year.
The Advertiser, in its Your Right to Know campaign, last week revealed there was more than 3700 assaults in aged care facilities in 2017-18.
But little is known about where they occurred and what, if anything, changed.
