Truss warns of aged care crisis

FEDERAL Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss says up to 429 provisionally allocated residential aged care places are yet to be delivered.

FEDERAL Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss says up to 429 provisionally allocated residential aged care places are yet to be delivered to the Wide Bay Aged Care Planning Region.

He has warned of a crisis in aged care if the government fails to ensure that providers can deliver the allocation.

“Demand for aged care places is rising, yet incredibly up to 429 places in the Wide Bay region have not been delivered,” Mr Truss said.

“These are 429 places that the government has committed to fund, but the government funding offer has failed to keep up with the actual operational costs that aged care providers would incur in delivering the places.

“My office constantly receives calls from anxious families who are worried about securing residential aged care for their elderly and frail relatives, but until the government matches the places it offers with appropriate levels of funding, aged care providers will be reluctant to take them up.

Mr Truss said the absence of aged care beds in an area with an ageing population caused hardship to the elderly, their families and carers.

Originally published as Truss warns of aged care crisis