The Turnbull Liberal Government is so focused on its own internal divisions that it continues to ignore the cries from the aged care sector that the Governments funding cuts are resulting in poorer care outcomes for residents in aged care homes and those living in their own homes.

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee’s inquiry into the future of Australia’s aged care sector workforce heard in Launceston on Monday from Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) representatives that that Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) cuts had resulted in decreased care and poorer outcomes for these valuable older Australians.

The hearing heard that because of allied health staff cuts more medication was being provided to residents as a substitute to deal with pain management because they could no longer access physiotherapy services.

Over the last two Budgets the Turnbull Liberal Government has delivered an almost $2 billion cut to funding for residential aged care to 2020.

The hearing also heard that because of the cuts:

• Aged care workers had less time to spend with residents due to staff ratios
• There is now less time for wound care and;
• Less time for shift handovers where the complex needs of patients could be discussed between staff which results in residents not being provided the best care.

The huge funding cut by this callous Government to the aged care sector isn’t about missing out on a glass of wine with dinner; this is about nurses having less time with residents and less time for care. This is about medication being used as a substitute for physiotherapy services. It is just not good enough, older Australians deserve better.

Today in Canberra the inquiry heard evidence from Leading Aged Care Services Australia (LASA), Hammond Care, Catholic Health Australia and Anglicare Australia that the sector did not understand why the Government continued to use the aged care sector as a place for funding cuts when they are looking for funding certainty.

The hearing also heard that:

• The aged care sector is unable to deliver quality care with the current funding cuts and current policy settings
• Nurses and other front line staff are continually under pressure and are not being remunerated properly for their services.
• There was still no long term funding strategy from the Turnbull Government
• There remains a lack of information surrounding Consumer Directed Care (CDC) and there is a need for a public information campaign to detail the incoming reforms

In October Labor introduced the Aged Care (Living Longer Living Better) Amendment (Review) Bill 2016 into Parliament to deliver an independent review of residential aged care funding, in particular to review the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI).

The fact is, the current funding arrangements have been unpredictable and unsustainable and the aged care sector has no confidence in this Government to restore the funding, provide a long term funding strategy or deliver any economic modelling on the future of the sector.
SENATOR HELEN POLLEY SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE LEADER (TASMANIA) SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR AGEING SENATOR FOR TASMANIA