Aged care taps the rich

September 13, 2024roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Sep-24

The federal government and the Opposition have reached an agreement on an overhaul of the aged care sector that aims to rein in increasing costs and which will see wealthier retirees pay more for the cost of their care, whether in residential care or in their homes. The overhaul puts an increased focus on in-home care, in acknowledgement that people will increasingly use residential care only for the very end of their lives, while there will be no changes to the treatment of the family home under the new means testing regime that will apply under the overhaul. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked Opposition leader Peter Dutton for the bipartisanship the Coalition had shown hroughout the discussions on the aged care overhaul, while Dutton said he wanted to make sure people have dignity as they age.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Wealthy would pay at least $20 a day more in aged care overhaul

March 13, 2024roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Natassia Chrysanthos
The Age – Page: Online : 13-Mar-24

Everyday living expenses in aged-care facilities are currently capped at $61 per day. However, it costs aged-care operators about $80 per day to provide these services. Aged-care consultant Grant Corderoy contends that self-funded retirees should pay this $19 gap; he argues that while the costs of aged-care nursing, medication and allied health are fully covered by taxpayers, wealthy residents of aged-care facilities should pay for their everyday living and accommodation costs. Corderoy was a member of the federal government’s aged-care taskforce.

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Covid deaths through roof amid age-care warnings

February 8, 2023roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jess Malcolm
The Australian – Page: 6 : 8-Feb-23

Data from the federal Department of Health shows that the number of Covid-related deaths nationwide has risen to 9,332 since Labor was elected in May 2022. This compares with 8,471 deaths from or with COVID-19 under the former Coalition government. The figures also show that the Covid death toll in aged-care homes is 2652 under Labor, compared with 2415 under the Coalition. Shadow health and aged care minister Anne Ruston says the government has failed to protect the nation’s elderly.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Cost of Australia’s aged care system to taxpayers could double, experts warn

June 17, 2022roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Christopher Knaus
The Guardian – Page: Online : 17-Jun-22

Australia’s aged care system costs taxpayers $27 billion a year, or roughly 1.2 per cent of GDP. However, a report by the University of Technology Sydney’s Ageing Research Collaborative claims its cost could rise to 2.1 per cent of GDP within 40 years. The report notes that additional government funding will be needed, but that more money is not the only solution to addressing the system’s problems. Work needs to be done on increasing the independence of older people in order to reduce demand, while government subsidies for aged care need to be used more effectively.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY

Aged care wages should be Labor’s ‘first priority’: HSU boss

May 26, 2022roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Angus Thompson
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 26-May-22

The Fair Work Commission has held several weeks of hearings regarding the Health Services Union’s push for a 25 per cent increase in the wages of aged-care workers. The HSU’s national president Gerard Hayes says the federal government’s submission to the wage case should be the new Labor administration’s top priority. Carolyn Smith from the United Workers Union agrees that the issue must be a priority for the government. It was recently estimated that there is a shortage of about 60,000 workers in the aged-care sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED WORKERS UNION

Only 31pc of aged care staff have had their jab

June 23, 2021roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Jun-21

It has been revealed that as of the week beginning 22 June, just 31 per cent of aged care workers have told their employer that they have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshi said that 31 per cent was "nowhere near good enough", and that aged care staff should be subject to mandatory vaccination requirements. Opposition health spokesman Mark Butler has accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of leaving aged care workers to fend for themselves, while he noted that Morrison had "promised to fully vaccinate aged care workers by Easter".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Nursing home reforms set to raise standards

May 13, 2021roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 13-May-21

Changes announced in the May 2021 Budget will shift aged-care funding out of the hands of providers and give older Australians greater choice of nursing homes. Aged-care experts contend that this will increase competition in the sector and force poorly-performing aged-care facilities to lift their standards. Aged-care homes will also be required to provide each resident with a minimum of 200 minutes of care each day from October 2023. However, unions contend that the sector will continue to face staff shortages unless the government takes action to increase the wages of aged-care workers.

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Aged care tax killed off

March 5, 2021roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Mar-21

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has acknowledged that funding for the aged-care sector needs to be increased, but he says that growing the economy is the best way to do this. The final report of the aged-care royal commission has recommended increasing funding for the sector via the tax system; however, Tony Negline from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand says this is not appropriate, given that the bulk of aged-care funding already comes from taxpayers. Negline has proposed options such as requiring nursing home residents to use the equity in their family home and a reduction in the capital gains tax discount.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE QUALITY AND SAFETY, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Split over aged-care reforms

March 1, 2021roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers, Stephen Lunn
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Mar-21

The federal government will release the final report of the aged-care royal commission on 1 March. The two commissioners, Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs, are believed to be in agreement on more than 100 recommendations. However, they are said to be in conflict on a number of issues and will make some separate recommendations. Amongst other things, they are believed to have disagreed with regard to the future oversight and funding of the aged-care sector.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE QUALITY AND SAFETY

Rip up aged care, start over

October 23, 2020roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Stephen Lunn
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Oct-20

Australia’s aged-care system is no longer ‘fit for purpose’ and requires a major overhaul, according to Peter Rozen QC. He is one of the counsel assisting the royal commission into the sector. Rozen and Peter Gray QC have made a 500-page submission to the inquiry which features 124 recommendation, including the introduction of mandatory staff ratios and a legally enforceable duty of care for aged-care providers. Rozen says that at least one in five nursing home residents have received substandard care, while it is estimated that about 50 are sexually abused each week.