4 years ago
MORRISON FAILS OLDER AUSTRALIANS WAITING FOR CARE AGAIN
Julie Collins MP
The additional home care packages announced today by the Morrison Government are yet another drop in the ocean.
There are still over 104,000 older Australians waiting for home care. There are no new level four packages for the 21,833 older Australians currently waiting for the highest level of home care.
Time and time again the Morrison Government’s miserly announcements of new home care packages have failed to address the true scale of Australia’s aged care crisis.
Almost 30,000 older Australians sadly passed away in just two years while waiting for home care.
Older Australians waiting for high level home care packages are waiting almost three years to get the care they have been approved for.
In calling for action on the unacceptable number of older Australians waiting for care, the Royal Commission’s interim report called the home care package waiting list ‘neglect’.
This latest announcement confirms exactly what Labor said when the Government first responded to the Royal Commission’s interim report: Scott Morrison was not doing enough.
How can anyone trust this Government to properly respond to the Royal Commission into Aged Care’s final report when it can’t even respond to the interim report?
Labor also notes the Government’s decision to extend the Royal Commission into Aged Quality and Safety’s handing down of its final report after a request from the Commission.
We respect the independence of the Commission and the important work it is doing gathering evidence across the country.
It is critically important that older Australians and their loved ones have an opportunity to have their say and the Government must ensure the Commission is properly resourced to ensure this happens.
The Liberals cannot use this extension as an excuse to continue failing older Australians in aged care.
Older Australians cannot afford to wait and the Liberal Government must act now to ensure they get the quality care they deserve.
There are still over 104,000 older Australians waiting for home care. There are no new level four packages for the 21,833 older Australians currently waiting for the highest level of home care.
Time and time again the Morrison Government’s miserly announcements of new home care packages have failed to address the true scale of Australia’s aged care crisis.
Almost 30,000 older Australians sadly passed away in just two years while waiting for home care.
Older Australians waiting for high level home care packages are waiting almost three years to get the care they have been approved for.
In calling for action on the unacceptable number of older Australians waiting for care, the Royal Commission’s interim report called the home care package waiting list ‘neglect’.
This latest announcement confirms exactly what Labor said when the Government first responded to the Royal Commission’s interim report: Scott Morrison was not doing enough.
How can anyone trust this Government to properly respond to the Royal Commission into Aged Care’s final report when it can’t even respond to the interim report?
Labor also notes the Government’s decision to extend the Royal Commission into Aged Quality and Safety’s handing down of its final report after a request from the Commission.
We respect the independence of the Commission and the important work it is doing gathering evidence across the country.
It is critically important that older Australians and their loved ones have an opportunity to have their say and the Government must ensure the Commission is properly resourced to ensure this happens.
The Liberals cannot use this extension as an excuse to continue failing older Australians in aged care.
Older Australians cannot afford to wait and the Liberal Government must act now to ensure they get the quality care they deserve.