​With federal politics very much up in the air and following a week of turmoil ending with a new Prime Minster, Labor has called for a bipartisan approach for long-term reform in the aged care sector. Julie Collins, Labor's spokeswoman on ageing said that they would prioritise transparency and strive to boost and up skill the workforce. She also advised that there was a need for more aged care workers and Labor thought that government had a role in ‘finding, training and equipping them with the skills to cope with changes in technology’.
With the change in parliament, Ken Wyatt has been reappointed to the aged care portfolio although a dedicated aged care minister has not been included in the cabinet. Critics have stated that this represented a clear opportunity to ‘acknowledge ageing and aged care as issues of national importance’. Wyatt said his appointment as Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care reflected his focus on taking a broader approach toadvancingthe interests of senior Australians. Whether bipartisanship can be achieved as the nation heads towards the next election or whether aged care will turn into a battle for higher political high ground remains to be seen but fornowthe subject remains on the Outer Ministry.
Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) called for a review of the overall level of investment to ensure theroll outof additional home care packages keeps up with demand. While progress is perceived to be positive, investment has to happen to ensure the sector is adequately funded and meets the needs of all older Australians.
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Having worked in both the UK and Australia, aged care is consistently an area where funding is called into question. Until someone accepts responsibility and shines a light on the ongoing issues I am yet to be convinced that issues will be effectively resolved. That’s not to say that there aren’t fantastic healthcare professionals out there; just if they had more help in the homes, the pressure on hospitals would ease and ultimately the patient would receive better care as result. Sounds simple, but patient care has to be on the forefront of the governments mind when approaching the healthcare industry. I regularly recruit fantastic facility managers and senior nurses, so if you need top quality healthcare professionals then call me on 02 8252 1108 or martina@austcorpexecutive.com.au.