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Australia’s $452 Million Immediate Response to Aged Care Royal Commission
The Australian government has announced a $452.2 million raft of measures as an immediate response to the findings of the royal commission into aged care, as it sets out to reform the sector.
The royal commission has made 148 recommendations to the Morrison government, including new laws to protect the rights of elderly people and increased regulator powers.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said senior Australians need to be treated with respect, care, and dignity and have access to quality care as they age. He said the findings provided the government with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul the system.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says it is ‘extraordinary’ around 11,000 elderly people died last financial year on waiting lists for aged care even though their home care packages had been approved.
“The idea that you can have an approved aged care package and then die waiting to receive it is just extraordinary,” he said.
“I can’t think of any comparative area of social policy where that occurs.
“It’s just not good enough".
On Monday the government outlined its response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, which handed down 148 recommendations for reform.
The recommendations included the creation of a new Aged Care Act and an inspector-general, urgent review of care standards, clearing 100,000 Australians from the home care package waiting list, and a new ‘care at home’ subsidised government service.
Many Australians come to the end of their life while living in aged care. But damningly, the aged care royal commission found many residents have worse palliative care options than those living elsewhere.