industry & policy
Honourable Tony Pagone QC and Commissioner Lynelle Briggs AO . Picture : Supplied .
‘ We want action ’
Aged care Royal Commission two years on .
By Eleanor Campbell and Elise Hartevelt
Two years after the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was handed down , sector advocates have called for “ genuine reform ” and for the government to enact a new aged care act .
On March 1 2021 , following twoand-a-half years of extensive inquiry , commissioners Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs AO laid out a scathing review of Australia ’ s aged care system .
The report , named Care , Dignity and Respect , described the sector as a “ cruel and harmful system ” which failed to meet the needs of older people .
Among its core recommendations was to replace the 1997 Aged Care Act no later than the middle of 2023 .
“ We need a new Aged Care Act and have it implemented as soon as possible because that ’ s going to be the foundation to any genuine reform ,” Dr Sarah Russell , a public health researcher and aged advocate told Aged Care Insite .
“ Without the act , we ’ re just tinkering with the system .”
Since winning the election in May , federal Labor has introduced a new star ratings system , mandated 24 / 7 registered nurses in residential care and committed to fund a pay rise for aged care workers .
In a statement released in February the government said work had begun on developing a new aged care act and that it was “ seeking input ” from the public .
According to Dr Russell , details from the more than 10,500 submissions and 600 witnesses heard during the royal commission gave enough feedback to move forward .
“ The time for reviewing and discussions is over ; now it ’ s time to get things done ,” she said .
“ We don ’ t need more consulting – we need action .”
In an opinion piece published yesterday , aged care minister Anika Wells said federal Labor had addressed 37 of the 148 commissioner ’ s recommendations since being elected .
She said the government was working to deliver “ critical reforms ” over the next 12 months .
According to Older Persons Advocacy Network ( OPAN ) president Craig Gear said he hoped government would now prioritise rewriting the aged care act to enshrine the rights of older people .
“ The current Aged Care Act is focused on the operation and funding of aged care services and is largely divorced from the human experience of older people ,” he said .
“ We need a rights-based aged care act that has mechanisms to monitor , respond and ensure the safety and rights of older people are upheld .”
“ The time for reviewing and discussions is over .
Professor of Health Economics at the University of Technology Sydney Michael Woods said that the Royal Commission helped emphasise the importance of quality of care and safety in the sector .
However , Woods emphasised that not all progress in aged care should be attributed to the Royal Commission .
In 2011 , he presided over a Productivity Commission inquiry which spearheaded a reform era for Australia ’ s aged care system .
The report , titled ‘ Caring for older Australians ’, was among the first to identify workforce shortages and financial sustainability as key weaknesses .
“ If we say that the changes over the last two years are all due to the Royal Commission – that would be a mistake ,” Woods told Aged Care Insite .
“ The Royal Commission served to reinvigorate some aged care matters , but changes were already in the pipeline for quite some time .
“ Plus , the government has done significant work in improving aged care that wasn ’ t even mentioned by Pagone and Briggs .”
For one , the Albanese government plans to remove bed licences for residential aged care by July
1st 2024 . “ It should see that the provision of residential care goes directly to the resident , not the provider ,” Woods said .
“ It ’ ll also incentivise providers to improve their care quality to attract more people .” Woods said the Royal Commission should also have addressed the sector ’ s financial struggles caused by a flawed framework .
Recent federal data estimated that only 33 per cent of aged care providers made a profit last year .
Woods suggested a framework which balances costs between those who can afford it and taxpayers .
“ The Royal Commission didn ’ t fully seem to understand the scope of providers ’ sustainability problem ,” Woods said .
“ Similar to the aged care act , the government should look at how to reform the foundations of the aged care system to resolve its structural issues .” ■
12 agedcareinsite . com . au