Greens call for immediate increase to aged care funding
Wednesday 23 June, 2010
The Federal Government has again demonstrated its lack of understanding
of Australia’s aged care needs, failing to commit to the immediate
funding increase called for by the aged care sector and supported by the
Australian Greens.
Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson for Health and Ageing used
today’s Question Time to ask the Government if they planned to restore
the Conditional Adjustment Payment supplement of 1.75% from July 1 in
order to correct the nation’s alarming aged care funding shortfall.
“Yet again, Government has failed to provide leadership on the issue of
aged care,” Senator Siewert said today.
“Over the last decade, successive Federal Governments have presided over
a widening gap between the costs of providing care to Australia’s ageing
population and the level of funding being invested in the sector,”
Senator Siewert said.
A Government letter, responding to concerns raised today by the Aged
Care Industry Council claims a significant increase in spending on aged
care over it’s term in office.
“This increase does not represent a real increase in the level of
subsidy being provided across-the-board to meet recent significant rises
in the cost of providing care,” Senator Siewert said.
“What is needed is the immediate restoration of the 1.75% Conditional
Adjustment Payment supplement for residential care, and for it to be
extended it to community care from July.
“The Greens understand that aged care providers are not at all happy
with today’s response from the Government and we will continue to
support the campaign for sustainable aged care funding,” Senator Siewert
concluded.
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