Aged care challenges for 2009 – we must try harder

Posted December 19th 2008

by DPS

Greg Mundy, chief exeuctive officer of Aged and Community Services Australia, has sent the following message in the last ACSA National Report for 2008, which goes out to all members and the Government.

“The last couple of weeks have seen a series of reports on the year that’s nearly finished, including various accounts of the Rudd Government’s first year in office, and a media release from Minister Elliot outlining what has happened in ageing and aged care.

“We should look forwards not backwards as 2008 is almost gone.

“Here then is a set of six challenges for the Government in the year ahead.

Implement a fair and lasting solution to the decade old problem of user-charges for accommodation;
End the hand-to-mouth and makeshift system of indexation of care subsidies for residential and community care, and introduce an index that accurately tracks the costs of providing quality care;
Expand the availability of community care services;
Replace the punitive approach to quality control, with a model that recognises a partnership between Government and providers in pursuit of a common goal;
Stop putting out media releases every time someone in aged care makes a mistake;
Start thinking about how great aged care could be in the future and put in the effort to make it so.”