Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

There is nothing more concrete than the fact that each one of us adds a birthday number on the anniversary of our arrival on this planet. The recent issue of 50 Somethingquoted a point articulated by the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce: 'How we care for our ageing is a reflection of who we are as a nation.' Ageing is changing. Our attitudes to growing older are more about doing it gracefully with friends, with activities and with good-quality support, not just having a system of putting people in an institution and making sure they're comfortable. Aged care in our regions has always been a bit of a problem and we'll be addressing that. I wonder sometimes if some speakers have been to an aged-care facility, because the problems that exist now didn't happen overnight; they've been developing for years and years and years, and we are addressing it.

We're putting in an extra 14,000 new home care packages. Our funding is growing from $18 billion in 2017-18 to $23 billion in 2021-22. That's an additional $86 billion—not less, not reduced but additional. We're delivering an additional 20,000 high-level home care packages—that's in total—plus 13,500 residential places. That is the largest ever single increase to mental health funding for older Australians, which, as we all know, is becoming a much more significant problem. Over the next four years, aged-care funding is up, the number of home care packages is up and the number of residential aged-care places is up, particularly in regional areas.

My concern has been about how we get the priority listing for people to get into an aged-care place. The aged-care approval round announced recently by the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, and our aged-care minister, Ken Wyatt, was really welcome. They're going to get those places and will get an additional 775 respite places. There's an additional $5 billion budget boost for aged care. We'll be getting applications for this special process after 2 July. That is fantastic news for the regions and will help to accelerate the process. We absolutely need to have everybody included in this process.

One of my aged-care facilities recently said that part of the problem for them is that the assessment sometimes needs to be done online, so we need a process—and some of my aged-care providers are already doing this—to assist clients to go online, go through the process and help them work out what their aged-care level and needs are. In the beginning some people might say, 'I can do that,' but in fact it is somebody else who helps them get dressed or prepares their Meals on Wheels food. They need a level of care that's a little higher. But, because we're Aussies, we like to be independent. We don't always say, 'I need this, this and this'. We like to be independent. Our scheme is to try and keep them as independent as possible but make sure we're addressing the fact that there are hidden needs—needs that have been hidden because we've been so strong.

In the past we had 'Mediscare', then 'wages scare', and now we're getting 'bed-care scare'. In Labor's 2010 budget, they ripped $9 million out of aged care and booked the savings. In the 2011-12 budget, they ripped another $211.7 million out of aged care. In 2012-13, Labor cut residential care places. We are now seeing the outcome of all those cuts. We're putting a significant amount of money into long-term reforms and a costed plan to support older Australians. It's costed and funded. It's going through the budget. Thanks to this boost, we're going to have an 86 per cent increase over five years. Some will say there are waiting lists and queues. That's not surprising when we're developing a world-class care system for an increasing demographic sector. Almost half of those in the queue are already receiving interim care. Offering them high-level packages through the release of additional high-level packages will free up their existing package for somebody else.

My office is often approached for assistance in this process, because it is a fairly difficult one to navigate. We've always had a positive outcome. I say to the people of Gilmore: you're still more than welcome to come back to my office at any time and we'll assist you to navigate this system, get the best possible outcome for your care to retain your independence and to make sure you're having the best possible life.

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