Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. Given the well-known problems surrounding the ageing of the Australian population, particularly the expected increase in the number of aged people in the coming years, can the minister advise the Senate what new steps are being taken by the Howard government to ensure that our aged care system is accessible for all older Australians and their families?

Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Humphries for another thoughtful question. Senator Humphries continues to provide me with much good insight and advice about the operation of the aged care industry. I am sure that all senators in this place will agree with me when I say that finding the right place to care for and support an older person is one of the really important decisions in their lives—whether it is for parents, spouses or individuals. The Howard government has recognised this and has responded by creating a new website that will make it easier to search for aged care services. I had the pleasure to launch the Aged Care Australia website in Parliament House last Thursday which was attended by representatives from the aged care industry and seniors organisations. The website can be found at www.agedcareAustralia.gov.au. It will provide faster access to information about aged care services through its interactive capabilities. People can save valuable time searching for the right home. Instead of travelling to several places to compare services, internet users can now view and compare homes online and decide which best meet the needs of the particular person for whom they wish to find care. With the click of a button, users can view photographs of facilities as well as maps of their location which show proximity to shops, parks and other important facilities such as churches and sporting clubs, which some older Australians still use right into old age.

The website also helps people search for services in their local area to support them staying at home, including personal nursing, home modification, maintenance and transport services. Users will also have the ability to store, update and share with family and friends material they have selected from the site. It also allows family members, interstate or overseas, to be part of what is a very important decision. Many a time I have been told by people who live overseas who have an elderly relative in Australia being cared for by relatives here how much they would like to participate in that important decision. I think that this website now enables them to do so. These search tools not only allow consumers to find the service that they need but also give service providers a real incentive to improve the quality of the services, and information on sanctions, certification and accreditation will be readily accessible to consumers.

In the past, people looking for information about aged care have used the phone, but we know from new research that many now prefer to find it on the internet. The latest ABS data shows that one in five older people among the 65-plus age group use a computer at home—up from about 10 per cent in 1998. That is just a staggering statistic. I was able to tell people at that launch last Thursday about an elderly person who was being looked after and assisted by a volunteer from the community. That elderly person was 98 and was navigating the internet and particularly looking out for aged care services in a way that would put many of us younger people who use the internet to shame. Undoubtedly that person was benefiting greatly from Senator Coonan’s great work. Internet usage in the 45- to 54-age group, baby boomers who are looking for aged care options for their parents, has also increased from around 25 per cent in 1998 to around 60 per cent. This data certainly illustrates the usefulness of this new initiative, and I am proud that the Howard government has been able to deliver again for older Australians.