Advocates demand swift action on aged care reforms to protect older Australians

Advocates of older adults are pleading with the Federal Government and Opposition to work together and pass laws to protect older Australians in the aged care system.

A coalition of 10 advocate organisations said the Aged Care Act needs to be submitted to federal parliament this fortnight, otherwise the bill will be pushed back to next year.

Any delay will put back laws that will address neglect in the aged care and also impede the rights of older people at risk, they said.

COTA Chief Executive Officer Patricia Sparrow said it has been over three years since a Royal Commission looked into widespread abuse and neglect in aged care, yet older people were still waiting for reforms and time was running out for promises to be delivered.

“Every story heard during the commission, and the stories from the decade before, differed slightly, but the fundamental thread was a lack of dignity, respect and basic rights,” she said.

“Both parties know that the reform we need requires the underpinning of a new Aged Care Act, yet for some reason we are still waiting for the Act to be introduced and debated.

“It is now time for the Government and the Opposition to legislate rights as the bedrock of an aged care system that values and respects older people.”

Meanwhile, CEO of Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) Craig Gear stressed that “older people have waited far too long for their rights to be enshrined in legislation”.

“Without the Act passed we don’t have enhanced quality standards, we don’t have the promised increase in protections for older people, and honestly, we don’t have viable and sustainable aged care providers,” Gear said.

“There’s no doubt that when it comes to aged care in this country, business as usual is unacceptable.

“This needs to be above politics.

“Older Australians, and their voting families will hold both parties responsible if we don’t see action to introduce the Aged Care Act and improve the system quickly.”

The calls for action come after a coalition of 12 national organisations dedicated to the welfare of older adults released a Key Issues Paper, asserting that the proposed new Aged Care Act must have teeth and cannot afford any delays.

The Key Issues Paper was a direct response to the Federal Government’s Aged Care Act Exposure Draft, which sparked both optimism and concerns. While acknowledging the improvements outlined in the draft, advocates argued that further changes were imperative to ensure the rights of aged care residents are robustly protected.

The Paper highlighted specific areas of concern expressed by older Australians, including the enforcement of rights, the establishment of a robust and independent complaints system, transparency regarding timelines and funding, and the implementation of strong regulations and penalties for those failing to uphold the rights of elderly residents.