Today is an historic day in our sector. I would personally like to congratulate the Albanese Government and the Coalition on reaching a hard-fought-for consensus on the new Aged Care Act and accompanying funding model to support it.
A rights-based Act, one that addresses the current power imbalance between older people and aged care providers, has been a long time coming. Bi-partisan agreement sends a very clear message to older people, their families and other representatives that their health, safety and wellbeing transcends party politics. It also gives the aged care sector the confidence and stability it requires to deliver quality, rights -based, person-centred aged care.
OPAN is committed to ensuring older people, their families, and other representatives continue to have their say as the Bill proceeds through the various stages of the parliamentary process, including Senate inquiries. In collaboration with other peak bodies for older people and those who support them, our policy and systemic advocacy team will scrutinise the new legislation as soon as it is tabled to identify potential gaps and unintended consequences.
With the omission from the final legislation of criminal penalties for serious harm and neglect, we will need to be reassured that the Act contains sufficient protections for older people and deterrents for providers who do the wrong thing.
Safety nets crucial
And we are keen to understand the efficacy of the safety nets and other financial protections for older people. While the majority of older people we spoke to during our extensive consultations around the exposure draft of the new Aged Care Act said they were happy to contribute financially to their care, so long as they had the means to do so, there was universal agreement that any changes to the funding model must be supported by a closely woven safety net. Older people are entitled to high-quality aged care regardless of their financial situation. It must be based on their assessed need rather than their ability to pay.
The new Aged Care Act has the potential to enhance quality standards, increase protections for older people, and create a financially sustainable aged care system for future generations.
We look forward to working with the government and other sector stakeholders to implement sensible changes that ensure the rights of older people are upheld in the rule of law.
Craig Gear
CEO, OPAN
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Note: this article was updated on 12 September 2024
