Aged Care

The federal government announced its $17.7 billion aged care budget with bells and whistles. Peak bodies for providers described it as a “big win for older people”. However, it is aged care providers, not older people, who have won. The home care sector has been given an extra $6.5 billion over four…

The aged care sector needs more money. However, the government should not give more money to age care providers without financial transparency. Currently the public has no way of knowing how providers spend $21 billion of government subsidies. Do they spend the subsidies on providing nursing care, meals and activities…

The government’s stage-managed release of the final report of the Aged Care was top drawer. Call a press conference at short notice, don’t give journalists any time to read the recommendations to ensure no hard questions, don’t make any promises and reframe any obvious criticisms. Moreover, that it was released…

On the eve of ABC Four Corners’ expose of the extremely distressing way older people were being treated in residential aged care homes, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, announced a royal commission into aged care. The announcement surprised everyone, including then aged care minister Ken Wyatt. He had said a few days earlier…

Two years ago, the Prime Minister announced a royal commission into aged care. This announcement came on the eve of ABC Four Corners’ two-part investigation into the failings in aged care. “Government by media” had replaced careful consideration of the evidence. Before jumping into another expensive royal commission, it would have been…

Australia has one of the highest rates in the world of deaths in residential aged care as a proportion of total Covid-19 deaths. A recent Senate inquiry noted that deaths in aged care homes “account for 74.6% of all deaths from Covid-19 in Australia”. Many of these deaths could have…

For around one third of residents in aged care homes, this will be their last Christmas. Yet many residents will not be able to celebrate with families and loved ones, even though Australia has transitioned to Covid-normal. An aged care home in Melbourne informed families that residents would not be…