Valuing grand people

“Older people have shaped this nation. They have much to offer society, and are integral to the fabric of family life through their relationships with each other, their family and their communities, even when they are most frail,” Resthaven chief executive officer, Richard Hearn, said as he announced results of the June 2010 McGregor Tan Household Omnibus Survey.

“Celebrating and affirming that older people are valued and respected is very important, as is affirming the good and essential work of staff, volunteers, carers and family members,” he said, speaking of Reshaven’s 75 year anniversary. 

“Our research indicates that the overwhelming majority of people of all ages value those who work with older people (81%).”

“Currently, any debate about aged care tends to focus on ageing as a ‘problem’. We have a fundamentally different view. We value older people – no matter how physically or mentally frail they may be.

“Two out of every three people have personally experienced or know someone who has an experience of services provided to older people, either personally or through family and friends, at some stage in their lives. For most (81%), this is a positive, enjoyable experience,” he said.

“Nearly 40% of people surveyed believe quality aged care means caring for and looking after the needs of older people, for 14%, it means respect, dignity and quality of life and for 31%, good quality aged care or services.

“This is most important to 41% of people making a decision about aged care, with nearly 20% considering quality of accommodation, 17% access to and 16% cost of services and 16% availability of information most important.

“Aged care providers face a great challenge – today and in the future – to provide sustainable, quality support for all older Australians, with greater individual choice. The pressure of wage parity with other sectors is straining the aged care industry now, and with the growth in the ageing of the population, this is a major concern for the future.

“Although 98% of survey respondents believe it is important to have an adequate workforce, the current environment makes this challenging.  Attracting the required workforce to cope with the demand is a fundamental issue,” he continued.

“And although 88% think government funding should be indexed to keep pace with wage increases, this is not the reality. Recently, the industry received only a 1.7% CPI increase. This is just not sustainable.

“Having access to services is what people want. More than 60% believe it is not acceptable to wait more than one month for aged care support. However, the reality is that most people wait considerably longer.

“We believe that older people have a right to quality aged care services when and where they need it, because they are grand.”