MEDIA RELEASE

The Federal Government has failed to deliver the urgent funding required to fix aged care in this year’s Mid-Year-Economic Forecast. Once again they have completely neglected to address the sector’s systemic workload and funding issues.

Australians heard many harrowing stories in the Aged Care Royal Commission throughout 2019 about the effects of the chronic understaffing in aged care – like rushed and inadequate times for meals and incontinence pads being rationed. MYEFO was the opportunity for this Government to take action.

United Workers Union aged care director Carolyn Smith says, “The elderly in Australia and the aged care providers who face going to the wall have seen no new commitments in today’s Mid-Year Economic Forecast.

“Today the Morrison Government served up a rehash of their previous announcement on 25 November, alongside their surplus obsession.

“They had promised $1.073 billion for the sector, but today’s MYEFO is far from that amount. The only money that went to workforce was $10 million for dementia training and support for workers AND providers.

“The aged care system is failing, a finding made by the Royal Commission on Aged Care in their interim report titled ‘Neglect’. In that report, the Royal Commissioners said damningly that the current issues in the aged care sector ‘diminishes Australia as a nation’. MYEFO proves that the Morrison Government did not listen to these dire warnings and criticisms.

“Today the Government has shown that they will do nothing for the 110,000 Australians sitting on the home care waitlist and will do nothing to increase time for quality care in residential facilities – and will do nothing to support the aged care workforce navigating a system in crisis. There was no money to address chronic understaffing, which means for the time being our elderly will not be receiving the care they deserve.

“Australia cannot wait for the final recommendations of the Royal Commission due late 2020 for the Government to act comprehensively on the crisis in this sector.”

ENDS

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