news
LASA responds
The ability to deliver affordable quality care and
services to older Australians is at serious risk,
LASA chief says.
By Kirstie Chlopicki
L
ASA has issued a renewed call for improvements to staffing
and funding levels following media reports on the death of a
resident at a Bundaberg nursing home.
Referring to an ABC TV report on the 7.30 program which
blamed funding cuts for putting elderly residents at risk, LASA
chief executive Sean Rooney said high quality residential care
should not be negotiable.
“Australia has a good aged care system. And, we know that a
good system can always do better. Situations such as those raised
by the ABC’s 7.30 report are not acceptable,” Rooney said.
“However, the actions taken by the Australian Aged Care Quality
Agency show that the aged care regulatory system is working. The
government is well aware that current funding for the aged care
system is not sustainable, and a national solution to pay for the
growing cost of aged care is required.
“We need to design and develop a sustainable funding
strategy underpinned by detailed research, analysis and modelling.
Funding options for consideration should include examples from
other countries, such as national insurance schemes, taxpayer
levies, user-pays models, taxation concessions/supplements
and the like.”
Rooney came to the defence of aged care providers, and said
that about 97 per cent of Queensland nursing homes had “a clean
bill of health” and raised no issues last year.
Additionally, the rate of complaints in the sector was 569 for
51,493 beds, and only nine of 445 facilities had received notices of
non-compliance.
LASA has also called for an immediate funding injection in the
upcoming 2018-19 Budget, particularly for rural and regional
providers, and more focus on delivering quality staff.
“The provision of appropriate levels of care for older Australians
in residential care facilities is not as simple as the number of staff
on duty, or arbitrary staffing ratios,” Rooney said.
“The needs of people in residential aged care are highly variable
and, within a stringent quality control system, a flexible staffing
mix can deliver the best quality of care targeted at individual
care needs.
“Flexibility to adjust the staffing mix as the profile of residents
changes is a very important consideration, as is the adaptability
to move to new models of care driven by innovation and
new technology.
“We have been advising the government for the past year of
the impact on residential care providers of the combination
of rising costs and reducing revenues – recent changes
to government funding arrangements have cut deeper
than anticipated, and the ability of our members to deliver
accessible, affordable, quality care and services to older
Australians is now at serious risk.”
New data released by StewartBrown recently showed that
41 per cent of residential aged care providers recorded a loss, as of
December 2017, compared with 31 per cent in 2015–16.
Approximately 56 per cent of rural and remote facilities are
expected to report a financial loss in 2017–18.
Peak bodies ACSA, LASA and the Aged Care Guild maintain
this situation is “caused in part” by government changes to
funding arrangements.
“Over 40 per cent of aged care providers are now making a
loss, and many more are struggling to remain financially viable,
particularly those in remote and rural areas, and providers looking
after the most disadvantaged, including homeless people,” ACSA
chief executive Pat Sparrow said.
“The sector now needs an urgent funding injection, such as an
‘adjustment payment’, while the longer-term work on new funding
arrangements is being undertaken.”
The Aged Care Guild has estimated that Australia will need
another 83,500 beds over the next 10 years to meet rising
demand. ■
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