It was heartening to finally hear a political leader acknowledge the crisis in aged care and have a plan to address it.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese put aged care at the centre of his budget reply speech on Thursday. He unveiled a minimum $2.5 billion package to provide an urgently needed overhaul of the sector.
Rather than piecemeal initiatives, his five-pillar plan includes 24-hour nursing and a minimum of 215 minutes of care per day for each resident at all aged care facilities, funding to lift aged care workers pay, better food via mandatory nutrition standards and, importantly, improved regulation of the sector.
These are in line with key recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission.
In contrast, the federal government's offering was a cynical pre-election budget with aged care announcements reflecting a "business as usual" approach - training and medication management - rather than addressing desperately needed structural reform.
The government cannot crow about the $17.7 billion committed in last year's budget, as this was to be rolled out over five years and came on the back of gross underfunding over many years.
Workforce issues are at the heart of the sector's problems and the government needed to commit to a wage increase for aged care workers. What the sector is asking for, in a case before the Fair Work Commission, is a mere $5 an hour more. Aged care workers perform difficult nursing and care roles, yet many are on the poverty line. Without addressing wages, the sector can't attract and retain skilled people. Workforce issues will continue to affect quality of care.
Funding of the pay rise is not included in the $2.5 billion because the cost of the Fair Work Commission decision is unknown.
The government and critics ask where the funds will come from. Government should find the funds, and perhaps an NDIS-style levy should be considered.
The current regulator has been shown to lack teeth. It's not independent and has failed to address rising complaints. Poor providers continue to operate despite failing agreed standards. Extra funding and powers for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission are essential.
Whoever wins government must fast track a new Aged Care Act by 2023 to underpin reform.
Aged care needs to be an election issue and there are signs it will be.
Older Australians deserve more respect and better care.
