Senator: It's about quality care not just aged care

VISITING Senator said there's lots of issues in the aged care portfolio that need addressing in the lead-up to the next election.

Cowper MP Luke Hartsuyker with Woolgoolga Retirement Village's Marian Harrington, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and Martin Bunyan from the Coffs Harbour Masonic Village. Picture: CONTRIBUTED

RED tape, funding cuts, staff recruitment and a lack of flexibility in delivering quality care were the focus of an aged care forum which was held in Coffs Harbour this week.

The opposition spokesperson for Ageing and Mental Health, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells was the special guest at the forum hosted by local MP Luke Hartsuyker as aged care providers from the Clarence, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca and Kempsey Shires attended.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells has been meeting with aged care stakeholders and communities around Australia to gauge their views on the recent changes proposed by the Gillard Labor Government, including the impact of the $1.6 billion ACFI funding cuts on providers.

Mr Hartsuyker said the message from local service providers was very clear.

"The recent $1.6 billion in funding cuts by the Gillard Government have created a lot of uncertainty in the aged care sector and placed providers under genuine stress," Mr Hartsuyker said.

"Local aged care services are being asked to do more with less.

"They are also being burdened with increasing amounts of red tape which is absorbing more of their resources."

During her visit to the Coffs Coast Senator Fierravanti-Wells also visited youth mental health service provider Headspace, inspected the recently opened mental health unit at Baringa Hospital and attended a Christmas party at the Domain aged care facility in the Lakes Estate.

She said there's lots of issues in the aged care portfolio that need addressing in the lead-up to the next election.

"The Productivity Commission's report Caring for Older Australians, commissioned by the Federal Government, came on top of approximately 20 other reviews dealing with ageing and aged care issues," Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.

"Despite the many recommendations from these reports, the Labor Government has failed to undertake the necessary reform of the sector, including addressing the administrative burden of red-tape in aged care."