Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand in support of the Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Emergency Leave) Bill 2020. Our aged-care sector has been under unprecedented pressure over the recent months with the challenges brought on by coronavirus. Aged-care facilities are responsible for caring for some of our most vulnerable in the community. We have seen several examples of how devastating a widespread outbreak of coronavirus would be for our older Australians.

An integral part of ensuring older Australians are treated with dignity and respect in the aged-care sector is empowering them with the ability to choose their level of care as well as allowing them to make decisions about their own physical and mental health. This is particularly significant when facing an emergency such as a pandemic or the recent bushfires.

In response to feedback from residents of aged-care facilities, the Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Emergency Leave) Bill 2020 allows residents in aged-care facilities to choose to take leave from their aged-care home for the period of the emergency without incurring a financial penalty and without fear of losing their placement. Currently, under the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Aged Care (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997, government subsidy payments cease to aged-care providers if a resident takes more than 52 days of social leave in a financial year. We've seen that many families have sought to take on the care of their loved ones and remove them from aged-care facilities not only during the coronavirus pandemic but also during the bushfire season. Currently, these residents have been eroding their social leave balance, and many have exhausted the allocation of 52 days entirely. This results in residents remaining in their aged-care facility, which may not be the best choice for their mental health or mean they incur significant extra costs to retain their place. This is particularly concerning where limited visitation by family members is leading to social isolation.

The amendments in this bill introduce a new type of emergency leave for permanent aged-care residents which will be activated during pandemics, natural disasters and other large-scale emergency situations, as determined by the government. It is important to note that this leave will be available for only a limited period and in exceptional circumstances. The current emergency period will be marked from 1 April 2020 to ensure that residents who have already been impacted by the pandemic will be able to receive financial assistance. It also provides financial certainty for aged-care providers in an already challenging time for these operators. I support this bill for the steps that it takes to prioritise the social and mental wellbeing of older Australians and the recognition it gives to the importance of choice and flexibility in the aged-care sector.

In addition to efforts to provide additional leave for residents of aged-care facilities, I commend the minister for the other measures taken to facilitate social support for residents in aged-care facilities during the pandemic. This includes the development of the Aged Care Visitor Access Code to provide assurance for families of residents that the health and safety of their relatives is being prioritised while allowing visitors to continue to provide support for residents. This is especially important for the continuity of care for patients with dementia. The code provides for the screening of visitors, provides dedicated visiting spaces where possible, limits the number of visitors and limits requirements for visitors to have had flu shots.

The Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Emergency Leave) Bill 2020 is an important mechanism to provide the dignity of choice for aged-care residents during this difficult time while also prioritising the mental and social wellbeing of residents. I commend the bill to the House.

See this speech in context