Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia's aged-care system is broken. There is not one part of the system that isn't impacted by crisis. The crisis has many numbers, but what we all need to remember is that they are people and they are people with families, grandchildren and children. One hundred and twenty thousand older Australians are waiting for care, with periods in excess of two years for those who need it most. Eight months ago the department provided advice to the Prime Minister about how to fund more home care packages to fix this exact problem. Today he has announced 10,000, but 10,000 is barely a drop in the ocean when there are 120,000 still waiting.

The true disgrace is that 16,000 older Australians are dying each year waiting for the government to do something. They're our grandparents. They must be scared and terribly upset when they're at home waiting for that help. Even when thousands of Australians have died, there is still nothing being done. Although they called for a royal commission, it still hasn't been acted on. There have been so many different reports. They need to be acted on and we need to do something about it. It is time for this government to take action, correct the mistakes and fix our aged-care system.

Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I start by acknowledging all those Australians who are suffering from the terrible bushfires that continue to burn around the country and reassure them that our government is responding to their call. I rise, however, to support the coalition government's actions on the royal commission's interim report into aged care and to support the announcement of a strong, progressive reform agenda: a $537 million funding package to be spent across these key priority areas. It includes: firstly, an additional 10,000 home care packages; secondly, medication programs to reduce the use of medical restraints; thirdly, training programs for dementia carers; and, fourthly, the removal from aged-care homes of younger people living with disability.

The Morrison government—and indeed the Prime Minister himself—is to be applauded for instigating the royal commission and for acting on it decisively and swiftly after the interim report was handed down. Solutions, solutions—that's what we on our side deliver. Today's news has been welcomed at home in Moncrieff, in particular by the residents, families and carers at Earle Haven who were affected by a breakdown between providers that resulted in the unnecessary evacuation—by the state, not the services—of frail and elderly residents on Friday 11 July this year.

Additionally, our government supports all 23 recommendations of the Carnell report, which investigated what occurred. We are working hard to implement them for older Australians. Since 11 July, I have visited almost a dozen aged-care homes in Moncrieff and I'm pleased to report that the residents I have visited are all doing well and my office continues to give assistance where required. (Time expired)

Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I often say that we got lucky when my father had to enter a residential facility after having vascular dementia. We were lucky that he entered a facility where he was well looked after. But I also say we should not have had to rely on luck. No Australian, no older Australian, should have to rely on luck. The royal commission has exposed the crisis in our aged-care system. There are thousands of Australians who, unlike my dad, are just not lucky: 16,000 have died waiting for home care packages, 14,000 have had to enter residential care while waiting for home care packages, and another 120,000 people are on waiting lists. This includes people like Eric from my electorate, who had untrained staff changing his colostomy and urostomy bags. They didn't know how to do it correctly and the bags kept leaking on Eric. It was only after he contacted my office that any action was taken to help Eric with changing his colostomy and urostomy bags.

The government has failed our older Australians. Their announcement today of 10,000 places is just a drop in the ocean. It goes nowhere towards fixing this crisis. The government needs to act now. They need to stand up for older Australians, especially for those who, unlike my dad, just don't get lucky.