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Federal Government Pledges Extra $425 Million to Address Issues in Aged Care

on Monday, March 1, 2021

The federal government has today dedicated almost half a billion dollars in response to 148 recommendations made in the final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has said that the Aged Care Act of 1997 would be torn up.

“That will be a significant process but it’s based on a simple concept of respect for the individual, instead of being about providers, instead of it being about money,” Mr Hunt said.

The first recommendation in the report, handed to the government on February 26, is to create a new Aged Care Act, along with establishing the rights of those people looking for aged care services.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was providing an additional $452.2 million in funding to address immediate issues in the aged care sector.

“It’s the inquiry we needed to have,” Mr Morrison said.

“This is a challenge to all of us. So, yes, the findings of this commission’s work is as shocking as I thought it would be and frankly expected it to be.

“Australians must be able to trust that their loved ones will be cared for appropriately and the community should have confidence in the system. This remains our clear goal.”

Pat Sparrow, spokesperson for the Australian Aged Care Collaboration said the sector would need time to go through the recommendations in detail.

“It is concerning the royal commissioners did not provide a unanimous and clear position of how aged care should be funded in future,” she said.

Mr Hunt said the federal government was committed to making a fundamental change to aged care.

“The royal commission’s report is a significant document, the culmination of a two-year inquiry, and demands a carefully considered response,” he said.

In its two years, the royal commission heard from 641 witnesses, including residents, staff, families and experts, held almost 100 days of hearings, accepted more than 10,500 public submissions and produced 38 reports and research papers, including a special report on COVID-19.

In its interim report, the royal commission found the aged care system had failed many older Australians.

“It does not deliver uniformly safe and quality care for older people. It is unkind and uncaring towards them. In too many instances, it simply neglects them,” it said.

It is believed that the government will provide a comprehensive response to the final report in the May budget.

You can view a copy of the final report here.

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