Threat to home care services for aged in Victoria
Frail older Victorians may no longer be able to remain in their homes, if funding for services such as Meals on Wheels and cleaning are cut under a proposed Commonwealth takeover of aged care, according to a report in The Age newspaper.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has warned of a serious threat to home based services for the elderly, without the annual $100 million voluntarily contributed by Victorian councils.
It says this would increase demand for public hospital beds and residential care, putting further pressure on the already overcrowded system.
On Thursday 2 October, the Council of Australian Governments will consider a proposal to shift total control for aged care to the Federal Government from 1 July next year, while the disabled would become wholly the states’ responsibility.
But in strongly worded letters to Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Victorian Premier, John Brumby, the MAV expresses grave concerns, and slams as unacceptable the lack of consultation with local government.
The MAV says community care only survives in Victoria because of top-up funding, including $100 million a year from councils, to minimise waiting lists and service cuts.
Victoria is the only state where the home based services are provided by local councils. Cr Gross said 6,000 workers employed by councils could be affected by the takeover.
A spokesman for Federal Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, said the Federal Government already had responsibility for the nation’s 3,000 nursing homes, so it made policy sense to extend it to home and community care.
“These discussions are not about reducing government commitment. The Commonwealth will maintain the current level of funding to the Home and Community Care program.
“The discussions are centred on how we can make the aged care system and the disability systems work better for clients, so that it is easier to assess the right care, and to move through the system as people’s care needs change,” he said.
“There would be a planned transition to avoid disruption”, he said, “with no significant change likely until July 2011.”
