QLD government plans to get out of aged care services

The Queensland government has made plans to stop providing residential aged care services, according to an article in the Courier Mail.

The 22 state-run facilities throughout Queensland could be used to provide other health services.

The plan would affect 1,500 residents – most of whom have high care needs. The majority of the facilities are in rural and regional areas.

According to the article, the state cabinet will make a decision on the homes after 30 September.

In a follow-up statement, Queensland’s Health Minister Stephen Robertson told the ABC that the government was hoping to use some of the facilities to provide step-down rehabilitation care for older people after hospital stays.

He said it was likely that some of the existing residents would be moved to new facilities.

“If there are opportunities to move those nursing bed licences to the not-for-profit aged care sector then that’s what we want to look at opportunities to do [that],” said Mr Robertson.

“It’s not about dumping our nursing homes but rather utilising them better.”