Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the committee and secretariat for their work in producing what is a comprehensive review of the issues that are currently facing the sector and the challenges we are going to face into the future. Aged-care reform is a complex problem but it is a problem we must not ignore in this parliament. We must consider the financial impacts, the changing healthcare needs and, of course, the emotional cost on our loved ones. I know in my own electorate of Mayo that we have some wonderful homes which go above and beyond to care for their residents. But I also hear, day after day, from concerned constituents sharing their own stories of abuse and neglect. Indeed, since launching my private member's bill, I hear from people across the nation. Notwithstanding the scale of reform that is required, I'm confident we can harness the support evident on both sides of this chamber today to meet the inevitable demand for aged-care places, not with fluster but a carefully-prepared plan to manage the needs of our elderly loved ones.

Before I turn to the report itself, I note the appointment today of Ms Janet Anderson as Commissioner of the Aged Care, Quality and Safety Commission. A primary role of quality regulation is consumer protection. We know from recent examples in the media that this is a heavy responsibility and it will restore trust and confidence in the industry, and that's what we need. This report makes clear there is not going to be a simple pathway forward for reform. How can there be when aged-care needs are complex, the funding arrangements are complex and the health needs of our ageing population are changing? We know people are moving into aged-care homes when they are older, when they are more frail. We also have a shrinking workforce for our ageing population and so how will we, as a nation, ensure that the growing demand for services is met with an aged-care workforce and the right people to do the work?

While the reform required may be extensive, I believe the best way forward is to follow the recommendations of the report as well as the many reports and reviews previously completed and adopted. And we need to adopt a consumer-focused approach to aged care. This is perhaps best identified in the proposed charter of aged-care rights. I appreciate that the earlier charter received some criticisms during the inquiry, both for its legalistic language and for the fact that neither staff nor residents were aware of the document itself. But I believe there is some merit in such a document and I want to spend some time exploring the draft charter. Firstly, the charter is written in simple English rather than legalese, and I think this is very important.

I have the right to be listened to and understood. I have the right to complain. I have the right to be informed about my care in the way that meets my needs.

The words may be simple but the message is clear and powerful: the rights of Australians do not cease upon entering a residential care facility. As the minister regularly states—and I agree with him wholeheartedly—this is their home; it's just a different home. I accept that the charter of rights is only as meaningful as we choose to make it, but I urge the government, the service providers and their staff and the families of older Australians to pay attention to those words. If we are going to make a meaningful improvement in the lives of older Australians then we need to review and reform with the words of the charter at the front of our minds.

One way we can make a real change, a consumer focused change, is to provide families and residents with as much information as possible so that they can make an informed decision. This is a major financial investment for families and often involves selling the family home to meet the significant costs of care entry. This is one of the reasons I have pursued my private members bill, which calls for disclosure of staffing levels in all aged-care homes. The bill is currently in the inquiry phrase, with a public hearing scheduled for this Friday to consider the merits of the bill and the measures it contains. I'd like to spend a few minutes on why, in light of what has been said in the report, my bill is an important step in developing a consumer driven aged-care sector and one that is arguably consistent with the report.

Recommendation 4 of the report calls for the government to do two things in relation to staffing matters: firstly, to ensure that there is always an enrolled nurse on staff at all times—I think the Australian community is in shock that there is not an enrolled nurse, and nor is there a requirement for a registered nurse to be on duty at all times—and, secondly, to monitor and report on the relationship between standards of care and staffing mixes to guide on staffing requirements. I accept that the quantity of staff does not automatically translate to quality, and there can be no denying that appropriate staffing levels, with an appropriate mix of skilled medical professionals, will guard against abuse and neglect. But the level of care, and the number of staff to provide the care, is a critical issue for older Australians. The absence of that data has been noted time and time again, and that is the purpose of the bill. I appreciate that the release of staffing data will not be the panacea that we are all desperately searching for, but it is a start. I believe it is an important start and a start that we must make.

The royal commission is a welcome development, but I will not allow it to be used for an excuse to delay or deter further reforms. The committee report takes great pains to set out the previous reviews and reports carried out by government, the Productivity Commission, the Law Reform Council and various academics and stakeholders. It proves that we have so many good pieces of evidence before us. We need to ensure that action is now. I look forward to the hearing on Friday, and I thank the committee for its work on the report that's before us today.

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