NSW state election platform on ageing

Aged and Community Services NSW and ACT (ACS) has called for all NSW political parties to commit to develop a comprehensive plan to deal with the state’s ageing population. Around one in five people of voting age – or 932,000 plus – are aged 65 and over – a significant (13.5%) and increasingly vocal part of the population.

ACS says that given the demand pressures of the ageing population, any elected state government will need to understand the issues and work with older people, the aged care industry and the community to ensure aged and community care services and housing options are available, are of high quality and meet the needs of older people now and into the future.

ACS has identified five key actions that must be part of a comprehensive plan on ageing. A new state government must:

· Boost community care funding to meet rising demand as the population ages. Funding for Home and Community Care (HACC) should increase by 10% for each of the next two years followed by growth of at least 6% per annum.

· Ensure planning processes provide age-friendly housing. Current planning processes for aged persons housing must be streamlined and adaptable housing standards introduced for general housing to make it more appropriate as people age.

· Develop new models of care for younger people in aged care facilities by implementing promptly the joint Australian and State Government program to prevent younger people with disabilities entering residential aged care services and to enable those currently housed there to leave, where possible.

·Support a thriving retirement housing sector by ensuring proposed changes to the NSW Retirement Villages Act 1999 both maintain consumer protection for residents and encourage a viable business for operators.

. Take further action to reduce costs of workers’ compensation insurance for aged and community care providers.