Get the FACS on aged care

Recognising that aged care is a subject many Australians do not know about, provider Baptistcare, has launched an awareness campaign in order to find an aged care solution.

Baptistcare is hoping to open up a dialogue on what ‘Aged Care’ is all about and how to navigate the process if you or a loved one requires care at some stage.

Recent Federal Government funding announcements falling short prompted the Get the FACS! campaign (Finding an Aged Care Solution). They believe there would be more of a public outcry if people knew more about what is required for quality care.

“Our staff are some of the hardest working people in Australia and they are paid at the accepted industry levels – but these pay levels are dismally low. We wholeheartedly support better pay levels for our tireless workers but the Government must, in turn, provide financial support so that we can afford to pay them well,” said Baptistcare chief executive officer, Dr Lucy Morris.

“The recent 1.7% indexed increase in funding for aged care is no where near enough to cover the 3.5% CPI increase in Western Australia this quarter, the newly passed increase to the pay rates of low income earners, the 25% increase in the cost of utilities and to have enough left over to ensure we aren’t compromising the quality of care we provide to our residents and clients.”

“Providing quality aged care is becoming increasingly hard for providers to manage successfully and sustainably. We are coping now; we won’t be closing our doors tomorrow, but what about in five or 10 years time when the influx of older people requiring care has risen significantly and we’re still in the same situation we are in now.”

“Something has to change and that needs to be the Government’s woeful attitude to the elderly, who are our family members, and their carer, and we need the support of the community to get this simple message across to them.”