State governments have told Labor today that nearly 2,500 people are unnecessarily in hospital waiting for residential aged care or home care packages.
The Greens are calling on Labor to use today's meeting of Health Ministers to help end the 'rationing' of aged care. Rationing of aged care means the release of a limited number of care spaces each year, meaning people who need care miss out.
The Greens spokesperson for Older People, Senator Penny Allman-Payne, previously wrote to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, warning of the impacts of Labor's shortage of aged care on the hospital system and urging him to take responsibility and act to end the aged care shortage.
Last week's Aged Care Inspector-General report confirmed the government's aged care reforms due in November will not deliver the change envisaged by the Aged Care Royal Commission four years ago, and would "both prejudice equity of access to care and create inadvertent cost blow in other areas."
As stated by Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens spokesperson for Older People:
"We heard at the Greens-led Senate inquiry into Aged Care that older Australians were being forced into hospital because of Labor's aged care shortages, and now today's figures confirm it.
"2,500 older people have been left virtually homeless because Labor are rationing care out to those who can most afford it.
"In the for-profit aged care system, the worse your health is, the less likely you are to be cared for.
"Labor and the Liberals aged care system restricts the supply of care, and providers then choose from their most profitable customers. The Royal Commission said we should end this rationing of care, but Labor have ignored them.
"When 1 in 3 big corporations pay no tax, but an older person with dementia can't get care, something is seriously wrong."
"Labor had to be dragged kicking and screaming by the Greens and others in the Senate just to release 20,000 home care packages. This time, they should take heed of this warning from the states and use today's meeting to help end the rationing of care so that everyone can access the care that they need."
