Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that under the Government, Australia's aged care sector is in crisis due to almost nine years of neglect and funding cuts;

(2) notes that:

(a) after 21 expert reports, the Government knew older people were suffering in residential aged care and did nothing to fix the problems;

(b) the pandemic has exacerbated the structural problems and exposed the weaknesses in the aged care sector and the Government has done nothing to protect or support aged care workers or residents; and

(c) the Government has failed to plan ahead and has failed to supply aged care workers with adequate supplies of personal protection equipment; rapid antigen tests (RATs) and surge workforce which has led to tragic, unnecessary suffering and deaths of residents; and

(3) calls on the Government to:

(a) urgently supply resources, such as RATs needed to help aged care workers get back to work and to ensure residents in aged care get the care they deserve; and

(b) implement all the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and end the neglect.

The Morrison government's neglect of the aged-care sector and its failure to prepare and plan during the pandemic has led to residents being locked down, isolated and disorientated without enough food and water, with wounds untended and incontinence pads unchanged. This is unconscionable abuse of our elderly citizens, and it isn't caused by aged-care workers or providers; it is caused by this federal government. The sector has deteriorated shockingly under the coalition government due to its serious neglect over the past nine years. Funding cuts, inadequate staff-to-patient ratios, low wages and a casualised workforce have all led to a system buckling under intense pressure. This was happening well before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now become a full-blown crisis.

Our fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles all deserve better in their old age. They've worked hard their entire lives, paid their taxes, volunteered in their communities and raised their families. They deserve to live out their twilight years with dignity and respect. Instead, we have heard story after story, hundreds of harrowing stories, from aged-care nurses, workers and family members about the extremely poor conditions in which our elderly folk are living in aged care. These stories are appalling and they have shocked me to my core. It is truly unacceptable. I don't want any family of mine or yours in federally run aged care as it currently stands. Severely neglected, underfunded and poorly resourced during the pandemic, it's a national disgrace. Aged-care workers are trying their best to give high-quality care to residents, and I thank them for everything they do. But, with little support from the government, they are frustrated, devastated they cannot provide the high-quality care that residents deserve.

Aged-care workers have spoken out in desperation. Many feel they are working on a factory production line, not in an aged-care environment, with only five minutes to shower frail residents and with responsibility to care for 20-plus patients or residents at a time. It is physically and emotionally demanding work by people who are among the lowest paid workers in our economy. Staff shortages are hammering the sector. At least 25 per cent of aged-care worker shifts are not being filled. The Morrison government has announced it will bring in the ADF—an acknowledgement the system is in crisis. But how on earth are 1,700 Defence Force personnel to cover more than 140,000 shifts a week?

Compounding these problems, we now know that 60 per cent of aged-care workers and at least 60,000 residents still haven't received their boosters, and aged-care homes don't have enough rapid antigen tests or PPE for staff. These are vital measures for protection against the pandemic, and this government has completely failed to deliver them. There are currently over 10,000 active COVID cases among staff and residents, and more than 680 aged-care residents have died with COVID since 1 January this year. That's an average of 17 residents dying every single day. This latest outbreak has forced aged-care facilities around the country to lock down and confine residents to their rooms because they don't have enough RATs, PPE or boosters being delivered. Many residents feel like prisoners. This is inhumane and unnecessary, and it should never have happened.

The Prime Minister is responsible for the aged-care system. He failed to listen to 21 expert reports and he even failed to listen to the recommendation of his own royal commission. I call on this government to immediately provide adequate PPE and rapid antigen tests to aged-care facilities, to expediate the vaccine booster program for staff and residents and to address the issue of staff shortages by listening to the sector and what it needs. Aged-care workers are heroes. They've been working on the front line during the pandemic, while the aged-care minister attends the cricket and the Prime Minister plays the ukulele! Across my electorate, indeed right across Australia, aged-care workers are pleading with the Morrison government to step up and support them, not with a paltry and insulting payment, which many won't get, but with proper planning, action and leadership from this federal government, which has failed to protect our most vulnerable Australians.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

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

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member opposite for the opportunity to speak on this very important issue. As a 42 year old, I'm in that stage of life where we go from our parents caring for us to us caring for our parents. It's a strange transition to make, and you get your first real view of human frailty. I think it's important that we are all very clear and aware of the challenges that this sector faces. People in this vulnerable time of their lives do have some peculiar challenges, and it's very important that we address those and that we are upfront about those. I was very glad to see this government call the royal commission. I'm very glad to see that we've wanted to address that.

On a personal level, it's incredibly important to me. My father is currently a recipient of home-care support. He's one of these grumpy old men—and I'm happy to double down on the 'grumpy old men'—in need of care, and home care gives him the freedom and ability to live in his own house with some level of control, which I think is so important. I think also of the wonderful home care provided at the Naroo Frail Aged Care Facility, in Warialda. Sadly, far too many members of my family have required care, particularly my grandmother and my Uncle Donald, both of whom required significant care as dementia played a big role in their later years.

But I would disagree with the member opposite's summation. The Australian government is delivering significant, once-in-a-generation change in the sector through a $17.7 billion reform package. This is already delivering more home-care places and more funding for residential aged care. It's increasing the amount of time that residents are cared for, whilst strengthening the regulators to monitor and enforce the standard of care. And it's right that we do this. It's absolutely right that we meet the needs of our senior Australians, now and into the future, while undertaking the urgent reforms recommended by the aged-care royal commission. There is important work for us to do in this important space, but I'm very proud to be part of a government that is facing that challenge head-on.

The reforms and investments that we're already seeing are especially important in my electorate of Groom, where more than 25,000 seniors rely upon aged-care services. While home care has an important role to play, as in the case of my father, it's important that we do not see it as a replacement for residential aged care and that we continue to make strides in that area as well. Ultimately, some people will require 24/7 monitoring, and we need to ensure that high-quality facilities are available to them, no matter where they live, to provide the level of care and support that their families would expect.

That's why I'm proud this government has made significant investment into aged-care facilities in my region to upgrade and expand their offerings. I think of Beauaraba Living in Pittsworth. It has received a total of $2.3 million of federal funding, which has assisted it to deliver a $9.1 million upgrade to its facility. I think it's the best accommodation in Pittsworth. I love to go out there and see the facilities. It's absolutely fantastic and a credit to the people at Beauaraba and to the amazing staff out there.

This upgrade included the creation of new bed wings and the construction of a new wellness centre. The federally-supported upgrades also included the construction of two 13-bed memory support houses, which will allow Beauaraba to provide dementia care in a specialised environment more commonly known as a house model. The amazing aspect of this approach is that every part of the facility is designed to provide care and comfort to the residents, particular those who are battling with dementia, from the paintings on the wall to the design of the furniture. There's an incredible garden space and huge living area, to encourage family members to come in and be part of the experience there for the residents. It's so important that they keep those relationships alive.

Another example of the government's commitment to bettering aged care in my area has been the funding provided to Blue Care in Rangeville. This is an $8.9 million investment towards an $18.4 million upgrade, providing a significant boost to that facility.

Toowoomba is projected to have significant growth in its aged-care population over the coming decade. The over-70s are growing at three per cent per annum—a significant rate—and, by 2036, people over 70 will make up more than 19 per cent of the region's population. I'm glad to see us continuing to invest in this crucial sector in my area.

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

Nearly 40 years ago, my relatively young mother had to go to a residential aged-care facility. With multiple sclerosis robbing her of the body that worked and leaving her bedridden, it was no longer safe for her to live at home. Her nursing home was full of wonderful, dedicated staff who cared for her and their other patients. There were several registered nurses on every shift, enrolled nurses and occupational therapists. But my sister and I still made sure we went every day to help feed her and make sure she was comfortable, because, when we helped by volunteering, it meant that others were assisted more quickly, especially at mealtimes.

But let's fast forward to now. Twenty-two reports and the aged-care royal commissioners have told us that the system is broken. Too many aged-care residents are malnourished. Does the government realise what that means for our elderly? Our most vulnerable are starving. Let that sink in for a moment.

In this circumstance, how can there be so little action to fix the system which is tasked to look after our aged population when they can no longer safely stay at home? These residents are people who saw through the worst of the Great Depression, world wars and financial crises. They are our beloved grandparents or parents, and the government has left them languishing, ignoring report after report, until we find ourselves here in the current crisis. And they all deserve so much better.

These reports have detailed solutions. Yet, rather than there being change for the better, the situation has just got worse, however much money is spent. The government points to how much money they've put into the system, but then why, under this government's watch, has nothing changed?

There have been more than 600 deaths in aged care just this year, and it's not even the end of February. Again, aged-care residents were not prioritised in the rollout of booster vaccinations. Lockdowns have been difficult for all of us, but just take a moment to consider what they've been like if you've been a resident in aged care. The vaccines were slow and there are many who still have not had their booster shots. They've spent countless days isolating in their rooms, probably terrified of what will happen next, with personal care limited at best. Not only does this directly affect their physical and mental health, but it has robbed so many of spending their final days with their loved ones.

Recently there have been comments in the media that you only go into aged care because you're going to die, and whilst for many, many people this isn't the case, it is, however, all the more reason to make sure that those final days, months or years are as comfortable as possible. You should not be tortured with a lack of food or stimulation, or by not having wounds treated properly or not even being able to see the ones you love.

I've spoken to many aged-care workers over the last few years. They are dedicated and caring, and they do what they do because they know there is a need and they just love the residents they work with. It is certainly not for the money, because they average $22 an hour, and many have to work multiple jobs and split shifts just to pay the bills. But they continue to prop up this system in crisis, because they have a conscience and don't want to let anyone down. Clearly, it's unreasonable to keep looking to their good nature. With 140,000 shifts in aged care not filled, the 17,000 defence personnel, although welcome, will hardly make a dent and are not a sustainable solution. While the Prime Minister's promise of an $800 payment goes some way towards recognising just how much these workers have borne the brunt of the dysfunctional system and the stresses of the pandemic, it's a one-off payment, and not nearly enough and not soon enough.

The government must find solutions now as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aged care remains in crisis. More than 12,000 aged-care residents and workers currently have COVID, in more than 1,100 aged-care homes. If rapid antigen tests were available and free to staff and visitors, many of these outbreaks might not have occurred. Too many aged-care residents are still waiting for the COVID-19 booster dose. Aged-care homes have been left with insufficient personal protective equipment and shortages of RATs. Older Australians deserve to be treated so much better, and it's time the government did just that.

Russell Broadbent (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every year since 1990, in the times I've come into this House and out of this House and back into the House, aged care has been an issue. Aged care has been an issue for all of that time. Every year, under every government—

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

Russell Broadbent (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

listen closely—home-care packages are up, residential care places are up; every year, aged-care funding is up. When I came here, we spent $3 billion on aged care—$3 billion. Under the Howard government, it went from $3 billion to $9 billion to $11 billion. I remember, at the close of the Howard era, I went to Mr Howard and he said, 'Don't ask me for more money for aged care, Russell. You've had enough.' Of course, there was never going to be enough, because we had an exponential rise in the number of older people. And the models that we used, as I told many of the aged-care facilities in my electorate, when people went in at an earlier age and actually stayed for some five, eight, nine, 10 years, completely changed.

Because of home-care packages, we are putting people into aged-care centres when they are much older and when they are much frailer. Even though when you put them in—when they go in of their own free will, I should say, their health and lifestyle and wellbeing improve dramatically, and then, sadly, goes. Death and taxes. We all know we're going to die. That's why aged care should not be somewhere you go to die; it's somewhere you go for a really good part of your latter years. It should be a good experience.

I heard the member for Werriwa speak most passionately about the care her mother received. And it's the care my mum received, my dad received, and my father-in-law and my mother-in-law received from aged-care sector providers. They have all passed away. But, in my electorate, is there a crisis in care? No. If anything, there's a crisis in the fact that no government, in the whole time that I've been here, has been able to keep up enough funding to make sure that everybody's getting a fair go. You've got to have a really close look at the models.

My not-for-profits are amazing, the way they approach aged care—and I have to say my for-profits in that care do very well too. In my time as federal member for Corinella, then for McMillan and then for Monash, I would have had three inquiries regarding difficulties that people were having in aged care, and we were able to resolve every one of them. We have amazing providers in Gippsland. Now, my electorate might be a one-off and unusual; I don't know. But I am so proud of my aged-care providers and those who work for them.

Have we got difficulties at the moment? We sure have. It's called COVID. It's called a pandemic. My providers, like many others, struggle getting the right PPE, the right approach and the right masks. How do we go about this? How do we engage with our community? Many had been cut off from their community, with Victoria being in lockdown so many times. Have there been difficulties? Absolutely there have been difficulties. How have they been handled? To the best of the provider's ability. We have worked with them closely through all of that to make sure that those people, who are part of our most vulnerable community—and there are so many others—are the ones who are specifically cared for in our community. I just don't know how they were able to work so closely with the broader community to enable them to deliver, and they're still delivering every day.

There will always be more money needed in aged care. We will always take this as a very important part of what governments do. We will be judged, one day, on our ability to provide services to older Australians. They deserve that respect and they deserve that encouragement.

Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two words sum up the challenge of aged care: neglect and respect. Neglect is the title of the interim report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which found widespread failures in the aged-care system under the Morrison government. Respect is what aged-care workers have not seen from this government. This government is constantly attacking workers, and never more so than when it comes to aged-care workers. I commend the member for Corangamite for bringing on this critical motion at this vital time.

Here in Canberra Nicole Butler was reported in the Canberra Times as having been unable to visit her mother, a resident at Warrigal Stirling, for nearly a month because of the COVID outbreak. She said:

Sometimes she's not showered, or she's hasn't been changed on a regular basis. And so when I'm in there I have to do those things. I have to take care of her because the staff are run off their feet.

That story is common in many aged-care centres across Australia. This isn't a crisis that has suddenly snuck up on us. It was even in the pre-COVID era. Alex Reid's mother, Nancy, worked alongside Edward 'Weary' Dunlop to care for returned soldiers after World War II. Alex said that he had to supply incontinence pads because there weren't enough available in the aged-care centre and when he looked at her oxygen he realised that it hadn't been connected properly. He, as a trained scuba-diving instructor, was then asked to do training for the aged-care staff in that centre. He was happy to do it, but he shouldn't have had to. That training should have been there.

In the recent omicron wave all residential aged-care facilities in Canberra have registered COVID cases and there have been six deaths reported. The ACT Health team and Canberra Health Services have responded remarkably well to those pressures, but they have been dealing with a situation that has been made worse by the neglect of the Morrison government, by the failure of the vaccine rollout and by the failure of the booster rollout. We know that there are 80,000 residents awaiting their booster and that, if more had been boostered, we might not have seen more than 400 COVID aged-care deaths in January.

Lack of access to rapid antigen tests impacted aged care because it made it so much more difficult for visitors to check their COVID status before they visited. Workers in the aged-care sector have described it as a 'war zone'. What did the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services do? He went to the cricket for three days. This minister follows in the footsteps of Bronwyn Bishop, who had to step down as aged care minister in 2002 over the kerosene baths scandal. So, while the member opposite pretends that aged care has been an issue the coalition has always stood for, in the end he admits that John Howard said that he didn't want to put any more money into the sector. That is the attitude of the Liberals when it comes to aged care.

We need to clear the home-care package waiting list. Over recent years, tens of thousands of people have died while waiting for a home-care package. We need better workforce conditions, better wages for staff and better training for staff in the aged-care sector. The Productivity Commission found that the average wait for a home-care package was 28 months. The government's marginal increase in the number of packages fell massively short of what was required. We have aged-care staff who are living in poverty because the wages they are receiving are less than what they might receive for stacking shelves in retail, worthy as that job is. We have reports of physical abuse, neglect and malnutrition being rampant throughout the aged-care sector. We have, as a result of the omicron wave, an impact on the sector which is worse than they have ever seen before.

This is a sector in crisis, and it needs more than short-term, stop-gap, attempted solutions from the Morrison government. Yes, it is important to call on the Australian Defence Force to do what it can to assist, but let's not pretend that that is a sustainable, ongoing solution to the systemic problems in aged care. They must be fixed, and the only way they will be fixed is under an Albanese Labor government.

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

The truth is that, for all their bluster across the chamber, the challenges that continue in the aged-care sector predate the Liberal-National government. It was the Labor government of the day who underfunded and facilitated the dismantling of Australia's aged-care system and put the care of our respected senior Australians at risk to start with.

The Prime Minister has put a spotlight on the entire aged-care system, recognising the deep structural changes needed to reform and return Australia's aged-care system to a world-class, leading senior support and care sector. We listened to the experiences of Australians who gave evidence to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and we are taking decisive action to implement the recommendations, with reforms to deliver vital services, improved quality care and viability in aged care.

The Morrison government is making significant reforms that are paramount to the structural integrity of the aged-care sector, including those announced throughout the royal commission's inquiry and the COVID-19 pandemic and in the immediate response to the release of the royal commission's final report. The Morrison government's principles for reforming the aged-care sector are made up of the three key pillars we've heard: respect, care and dignity. Without these principles and Liberal values, our aged-care system is at risk of returning to the old habits left by previous Labor governments.

The royal commission's final report made 148 recommendations—123 joint recommendations, 18 additional recommendations by Commissioner Briggs and seven additional recommendations by the chair, Commissioner Pagone. The government has accepted 127 of the recommendations and supported an alternative approach to four recommendations where commissioners had differing views. Twelve recommendations require further consideration, and another six recommendations to raise taxes and fees for senior Australians and their families were rejected. It's important to note that Labor criticised the government for not accepting the recommendations that would have posed a major financial burden on the consumer, our senior Australians.

Through our $17.7 billion aged-care reform package, the Australian government is focused directly on delivering a once-in-a-generation change. The government is investing record funding across the aged-care system over the forward estimates. From $13.3 billion in 2012-13 under Labor, it has grown to $26 billion in 2021-22—significant growth. Funding for aged care will grow to an estimated $32.8 billion in 2024-25. Residential care funding in 2021-22 is $15 billion, up from $9.2 billion in 2012-13, and it's estimated that, by 2024-25, this will grow to over $19.5 billion.

Aged-care homes are often a last resort for senior Australians who can no longer support themselves independently. That's why the Morrison government is providing senior Australians with support to live in their homes longer. New home-care packages have increased from 60,308 under those opposite in 2012-13 to 275,597 in 2024-25, an increase of 357 per cent—silence from the other side of the chamber. Over the same period, funding will increase by 518 per cent due to growth in high-level packages. As at 8 February the Morrison government had dispatched over 117 million rapid antigen testing kits, and it continues to maintain commitment and supply, dispatching to pharmacies across the country and into the hands of Australians, especially those who are most vulnerable to the effects of this virus.

Collectively these amendments form the second step in the government's five-year reform agenda, through the five key pillars for reform, which are home care; residential aged-care services and sustainability; residential aged-care quality and safety; workforce; and governance. Competent and effective governance provides the basis on which the aged-care sector delivers its services. The Morrison government has strengthened legislative arrangements to improve the governance of approved providers, and these amendments align with the royal commission recommendations 88 to 90, which note that good provider governance arrangements result in high-quality care for consumers.

All of this will improve the financial resilience of the industry, improve service continuity and allow the government to identify at-risk providers sooner rather than later. I'm proud that we're fixing the problems in the aged-care sector without raising taxes and fees. As long as the Liberal-National coalition is in government, we'll continue to be dedicated to working for all Australians—for you, for your mum and dad and for your grandmother and grandfather.

Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

BURNS () (): I'm very pleased to speak on this incredibly important motion put forward by my friend and colleague the member for Corangamite, who has a deep connection to and fights for the aged-care residents in her electorate and for the many families who rely on our aged-care sector. I want to thank her for putting forward this motion and for all of her work in that sector.

I want to start by saying thank you. I want to say thank you to the staff in our aged-care sector who are working around the clock to look after some of the most vulnerable and most important Australians that we've got. I also want to say thank you to the staff who are looking after my grandparents. I am deeply grateful not just for the care and effort that they put into supporting my grandparents but for their professionalism, their skill and their commitment to producing high-quality care for people that I love, and not just for them but for all of their fellow aged-care residents as well.

As we all know, our aged-care staff don't have many choices, unlike this government. Our aged-care staff don't have the choice to go to the cricket instead of turning up to work. Our aged-care staff don't have the choice to just take three days off and head down to watch Mitchell Starc bowl a few balls. That's just not a choice that is available for our aged-care staff. Our aged-care staff don't have the choice to, instead of turning up for work, do ridiculous TV appearances playing the ukulele. It's absurd and it's silly, but that's not a choice that our aged-care staff have. They have to turn up to work, in conditions that are extremely challenging, where they are constantly in need of extra support and in need of extra resources. Our aged-care staff don't have the choice to just lay down tools. They have to work their guts out in order to support the people in our aged-care homes. I just want to say thank you to all of them for all of their efforts.

What they need is not just thanks. They also need a significant pay rise, and it would be a profound gesture of support if the federal government, instead of telling everyone in the aged-care sector how good they've got it, actually supported our aged-care workers in the Fair Work Commission in their case for a permanent pay rise—not just some election cash splashes like this government is very fond of but a recognition that the work that they do is important and high skilled, that delivering high-quality aged care is something fundamental that we as Australians respect and hold dear and that older Australians, people who have given this country everything, at the very least should be met with the level of care and support that each and every human being is worthy of.

But, instead, the government will often cite facts and figures and macro figures about how much they're spending, about their record spending in the sector, saying they've sent this many masks and this much PPE, citing 70,000 hours of shifts—all high-level figures that have been put together by some operators in various ministers' offices. But they haven't actually addressed the issues in the sector. It's all very well and good to send X many masks into aged care. That's good—of course it's good, but it's not fixing the problems in the sector. We have chronic staff shortages, staff who are paid less than many of those who work in our supermarkets stacking shelves. Our supermarket workers have been heroic throughout this pandemic, and this is not in any way a reflection on them; it's a reflection on saying, 'We need to value our workers properly in this country,' and at the moment our aged-care workers are some of the most undervalued and underpaid workers, due to the attitudes of this government.

I don't want to hear facts and figures from the minister for health and the minister for aged care. The minister for aged care hasn't actually been able to provide accurate facts and figures throughout this whole thing. Putting that aside, we don't want to hear facts about what record spending this government is doing, because it's rubbish. What we want to see is action that actually addresses the chronic staff shortages, the huge waiting lists in home care, the neglect of some of our most important Australians. We need change, and it starts with this government.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for a later hour.