Media Release: 11 August 2010
Federal health blind spot is aged care
Today’s health debate between Minister Nicola Roxon and opposition health minister Peter Dutton failed to address one of the biggest challenges facing our community: aged care.
ANF federal secretary Lee Thomas said Australia could not afford to forget the vulnerable elderly.
“We are calling for urgent action to halt the decline in care-hours each nursing home resident receives,” Ms Thomas said.
“The health debate today saw labor continue to talk about a health system that reforms all areas of health care through the national hospital and health package.
The coalition on the other hand has cherry picked areas to fund and has chosen not to reform the whole system.”
“We believe while Labor has a more comprehensive policy outlook, both major parties are experiencing an unfortunate blind spot in not dealing with the integration of health and aged care.”
“The amount of time each resident receives help in aged care has fallen by 20% in the last four years from an average of three hours and fourteen minutes to two hours and thirty six minutes for each resident per day.”
“We need a minimum of four and half hours of nursing care per resident per day. Anything less and we will experience a rise in the number of unnecessary transfers of aged care residents to public hospitals. Most concerning is the impact inadequate available care is having on these residents.”
“We are reaching the point where aged care residents will not be able to get out of bed because no-one will have the time to help them. Any health policy must include strategy and investment into aged care. This includes a focus on the quality of care for each and every resident, including minimum nursing hours and skills mix.”
The ANF has presented a detailed submission to the Productivity Commission’s Review of Aged Care, initiated by the Labor Government, calling for a major funding overhaul in Australian aged care.
“It is critical that Labor, the Greens and the Coalition commit to the introduction of minimum staffing ratios and full funding to help bridge the wages gap.”
A summary of the Federation’s submission is available on request.
Media Contacts
Eleni Hale, Media Advisor, 0458 892 999
The ANF, with 175,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in Australia