Health and ageing under ministerial microscope
Australian and New Zealand Ministers responsible for Ageing have reaffirmed the importance of co-operation around the interests of ageing Australians, including implementation of national aged care reforms under the Australian Government’s National Health and Hospital Network initiative.
They met last December in Melbourne where the meeting was chaired by Murray Watt, Queensland Parliamentary Secretary for Healthy Living, and attended by the Federal Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, along with members representing state and territory governments, the New Zealand Minister of Senior Citizens and the Australian Local Government Association.
At the meeting Minister Butler updated Ministers on the national aged care reforms, acknowledging the important cooperation that state and territory governments are playing in progressing the new measures.
Minister Butler said the reforms are designed to streamline the aged care system while ensuring that consumer choice of services are maintained and strengthened. He said over the coming weeks, the Government will continue to consult and take into account the views of stakeholders to redesign the ‘front end’ for aged care.
He also said the Productivity Commission has been asked to develop detailed options for redesigning Australia’s aged care system to ensure it can meet the challenges facing it in coming decades which will help the Government assess options for further advancing the long term agenda for reform to aged care.
Among other matters discussed were:
- The National Carers Strategy
- Aged Care – Risk Management for Emergency Events
- Legislative and Policy Discrimination Experienced by Older Australians
- Residential Care and People with Psychogeriatric Disorders
- Age Friendly Environments and Communities
