‘Gutless’: No cash for four-star aged care, Labor says
The Opposition has made a targeted attack claiming the Morrison Government has been ‘gutless’ about raising the standards of nursing in aged care.
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There is no money in the budget to bring aged care nursing up to a “four-star standard” called for by the Royal Commission despite the Morrison Government saying it’s committed to making the improvements, Labor is saying in a targeted attack.
The Opposition says it could cost the budget billions of dollars over four years to meet the necessary standards promised and accused the Morrison Government of being “gutless” on the issue.
But Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the government had been on the record for more than a year in supporting the Commission’s recommendations and any suggestion to the contrary was “lying to older Australians”.
He said Labor’s own costings on increasing nurses in aged care were “clearly underfunded”.
The Royal Commission into aged care recommended that to reach a four-star standard” there would need to be 24 hours of nursing a day at all facilities as well as the number of care minutes provided per resident per day increased to 200 minutes by 2022 and to 215 minutes by 2024.
Budget documents show government funding is spending $3.9 billion over the next four years to 2026 to increase the care minutes from 180 to 200 minutes, but does not include any cash to increase to 215 minutes.
Department of Health deputy secretary Michael Lye told an estimates hearing in April the department was still “collecting that information” on requirements needed to reach 215 minutes.
Labor’s aged care spokeswoman Clare O’Neil said the Coalition were making claims about fixing aged care without backing it up in the budget.
“It is utterly gutless. They are trying to get credit for something with voters where they are willing to commit zero dollars to actually delivering it,” Ms O’Neil said.
“This is the aged care crisis we are talking about here, and that means the Liberals are misleading frail residents, their families and the entire care workforce. It is a disgrace.”
Senator Colbeck said the Coalition had committed $3.9 billion towards the first phase, reaching 16 hours nursing a day and 200 care minutes, and a second phase would take it to 215 minutes and 24 hours.
“We accepted the recommendation, but we understand this is a complex area and one which requires a significant uplift in the number of nurses and personal care workers in Australia,” Senator Colbeck said.
“Unlike Labor, we will ensure the policies we put in place do not have detrimental or unintended impacts, including the forced closure of residential aged care facilities that are unable to meet minimum care time standards because there are not enough nurses or personal care workers to fill the required number of positions.”
Another health department official told estimates it was estimated 14,000 extra nurses would been needed to meet the 16 hours and 200 care minutes commitment.
Labor has yet to detail how its $2.5 billion extra for aged care to provide 24 hour nursing would be spent.
Originally published as ‘Gutless’: No cash for four-star aged care, Labor says
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