Coronavirus: Just one in five people trust the aged care system, new report warns

Australians want to remain at home as they age, and are keen to avoid formal aged care, a new report finds.

Just 13 per cent of 60- to 80-year-olds say COVID had been well-handled in aged care, according to a new survey.

Just 15 per cent of Australians aged between 60 and 80 trust the aged-care industry, a survey shows.

And there has been a significant increase in those aged ­between 50 and 70 considering the use of in-home aged-care services, the survey of more than 2000 people reveals.

Commissioned by aged-care providers, the survey confirms the sector has a long way to go to win back public trust in the industry.

More than two in three people using an aged-care service don’t trust it, the research found, with the proportion even worse for family members and people not engaged in the sector.

Just 22 per cent of people overall say they trust the system, with the same proportion saying the ­industry is open and transparent.

But the industry might be slightly buoyed by the finding that 23 per cent of people felt the sector had managed the COVID-19 outbreak well, a surprising figure given nearly 700 aged-care residents have died from the virus since July.

Those over 60 were particularly scathing in their assessment, with just 13 per cent of 60- to 80-year-olds saying COVID had been well-handled in aged care.

But those with a relative in aged care were significantly more likely to agree (32 per cent) that the industry has done very well in managing COVID-19 challenges.  The survey by agency Faster Horses reflects the overall trend away from residential aged care toward more care in the home, with 74 per cent of Australians saying the government should focus on ensuring people can stay in their own homes, up from 69 per cent last year.

“The rise in in-home care ­demand means the industry needs to modernise, embracing technology that can assist in monitoring movement, while also maintaining privacy,” Faster Horses managing director Veronica Mayne said.

“It also needs to consider the mental health and wellbeing of people living on their own, and the potential issues that can arise from social isolation.”

Leading Age Services Australia chief executive Sean Rooney said the report showed reform of the sector couldn’t wait.

 

“(We) need to get on with making the system better right now by addressing funding, transparency, workforce and community involvement issues, with the aged care royal commission’s final report due in February,” Mr Rooney said.

The government and its regulator, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, were not spared in the survey, with just 28 per cent saying the sector was well-regulated.