Post by Banjo on Sept 6, 2013 7:23:58 GMT 7
Seniors group attacks Coalition plan to relax aged care regulation
A seniors group has described the Coalition proposals to relax aged care regulation as "a slap in the face" for older Australians.
The Coalition aged care policy, released late on Thursday, floats the possibility of extending the accreditation period for homes beyond the current period of three years for homes that have maintained full accreditation over successive periods.
The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association said the Coalition proposal demonstrated a poor understanding of the problems of abuse, neglect and premature death in Australian nursing homes.
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The association's senior policy advisor Charmaine Crowe described the policy as "a win for the nursing home industry and a slap in the face for older Australians".
"Accreditation needs urgent reform. But winding it back will worsen the current crisis Australia has in aged care," Ms Crowe said.
"There is also no detail on how a Coalition government would ensure that nursing homes would provide quality care," she said.
The Coalition policy says that it would negotiate a five-year reform agreement with the industry. It would return $1.2 billion Labor had allocated for pay rises for aged care workers Opposition Leader Tony Abbott would abolish a $1.2 billion Labor scheme to deliver pay rises to the nation's 350,000 aged care workers and reallocate the money within the aged care funding pool.
The Coalition has strongly criticised Labor's aged care "Workforce Compact", which offers a wages supplement to employers who lift wages to a certain level and sign an enterprise bargaining agreement, arguing it is too costly for providers and is designed to help aged care unions boost their member numbers.
The Coalition policy says it would cut red tape to free aged care providers up to focus more on care, including by simplifying administrative processes.
It says the Coalition would establish independent accreditation, complaints and quality care assessment processes, but does not provide details.
Other seniors groups were more positive about the Coalition policy.
National Seniors Australia chief executive Michael O'Neill welcomed plans to streamline "over-the-top" paperwork, but said wages and conditions for aged care workers needed to be improved and it was not clear how the Coalition would achieve this.
Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates agreed there was a need to reduce red tape but said the organisation would want an assurance resident safety and the quality of care would not be compromised.
He said the organisation would be happy to discuss changes to the accreditation system if other quality assurance measures were put in place. He said the Coalition needed to urgently put in place measures to lift the pay of aged care workers.
"Good quality, well-paid staff are essential to good quality of care," he said.
Read more: www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/seniors-group-attacks-coalition-plan-to-relax-aged-care-regulation-20130905-2t863.html#ixzz2e4Fdp1M1
A seniors group has described the Coalition proposals to relax aged care regulation as "a slap in the face" for older Australians.
The Coalition aged care policy, released late on Thursday, floats the possibility of extending the accreditation period for homes beyond the current period of three years for homes that have maintained full accreditation over successive periods.
The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association said the Coalition proposal demonstrated a poor understanding of the problems of abuse, neglect and premature death in Australian nursing homes.
Advertisement
The association's senior policy advisor Charmaine Crowe described the policy as "a win for the nursing home industry and a slap in the face for older Australians".
"Accreditation needs urgent reform. But winding it back will worsen the current crisis Australia has in aged care," Ms Crowe said.
"There is also no detail on how a Coalition government would ensure that nursing homes would provide quality care," she said.
The Coalition policy says that it would negotiate a five-year reform agreement with the industry. It would return $1.2 billion Labor had allocated for pay rises for aged care workers Opposition Leader Tony Abbott would abolish a $1.2 billion Labor scheme to deliver pay rises to the nation's 350,000 aged care workers and reallocate the money within the aged care funding pool.
The Coalition has strongly criticised Labor's aged care "Workforce Compact", which offers a wages supplement to employers who lift wages to a certain level and sign an enterprise bargaining agreement, arguing it is too costly for providers and is designed to help aged care unions boost their member numbers.
The Coalition policy says it would cut red tape to free aged care providers up to focus more on care, including by simplifying administrative processes.
It says the Coalition would establish independent accreditation, complaints and quality care assessment processes, but does not provide details.
Other seniors groups were more positive about the Coalition policy.
National Seniors Australia chief executive Michael O'Neill welcomed plans to streamline "over-the-top" paperwork, but said wages and conditions for aged care workers needed to be improved and it was not clear how the Coalition would achieve this.
Council on the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates agreed there was a need to reduce red tape but said the organisation would want an assurance resident safety and the quality of care would not be compromised.
He said the organisation would be happy to discuss changes to the accreditation system if other quality assurance measures were put in place. He said the Coalition needed to urgently put in place measures to lift the pay of aged care workers.
"Good quality, well-paid staff are essential to good quality of care," he said.
Read more: www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/seniors-group-attacks-coalition-plan-to-relax-aged-care-regulation-20130905-2t863.html#ixzz2e4Fdp1M1
