Government commits $662 million funding boost in aged care

The federal government pledged an additional $662 million in funding for aged care and senior Australians just one day before the Royal Commission into aged care heard its first witness.

As part of the funding windfall, all Australians living in residential aged care will have an extra $1,800 spent on services for them by the middle of 2019.

$282.4 million will go towards new home-care packages, giving Australians more choice on how and where they live their lives. The money will allow an additional 10,000 seniors to receive subsidised care from the comfort of their own homes.

Another $320 million will be given to aged care providers to help boost subsidies, an announcement that was welcomed by nation’s leading advocacy group for seniors, Cota Australia.

Meanwhile, $4.2 million will go towards a medication management program and $7.4 million on advisory services for care providers to help improve services.

Scott Morrison, Prime Minister, insisted in the announcement that the elderly are now the top priority of the government:

“Older Australians have worked hard all their life, paid taxes and done their fair share, and they deserve our support.”

First weeks of royal commission hearings

The first fortnight of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety concluded this week, with evidence provided from families, medical experts, aged care bodies and unions on their opinions and experience with the current system.

The commission heard that there were 3,773 reportable assaults in nursing homes in 2017-18, and that many older Australians were now fearful about going into residential care.

A substantial funding boost into the aged care sector was evident as the commission was repeatedly told that senior Australians want to live at home for longer, but to do so needed more financial assistance.

Lastly, one of the worst problems described to the commission where the aged care workforce was under-resourced was to care for those with dementia. Dementia is set to become the biggest cause of death for people aged over 85 in Australia. Maree McCabe, Dementia Australia chief executive, stated there were around 436,000 Australians currently living with dementia, and that this figure is expected to surge to 1.1 million by 2050.

The commission was urged to properly train aged care workers to deal with the complex condition, and that workforce would need to triple by the year 2050 to care for an ageing population with a myriad of health problems, including dementia.

Hearings for the royal commission will resume in Adelaide on March 18 2019.

Contact our Will & Power of Attorney Lawyers in Sydney & NSW

Szabo & Associates, Solicitors can offer expert advice on a wide range of legal matters, including contesting, making or updating a Will and preparing an Enduring Power of Attorney and Appointments of Enduring Guardians. Please call George Szabo on 02 9281 5088 or fill in our online contact form.