A five-point plan alone won’t undo decades of neglect for Australia’s aged care sector

‘The escalating crisis in aged care has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and the community has been profoundly affected and enraged,’ writes Sarah Holland-Batt. Photograph: Ridofranz/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Historically, aged care barely rates a mention in federal elections. Conventional wisdom says aged care isn’t a vote winner, so the spinners and speechwriters get away with shallow platitudes about better care for our elders and politicians are rarely asked to pony up any policy specifics.

This hollowness at the heart of our policymaking has allowed neglect, abuse and poor care to flourish in aged care for decades. In the wake of shocking scandals, various inquiries have been held, committees formed, recommendations handed down and mostly ignored. And each successive government has failed to make Australia’s aged care system safer and more dignified.