Productivity Report on Aged Care Due

The Productivity Commission is about to release its much anticipated interim report into Australia’s Aged Care system.

The interim report – Caring for Older Australians is due for release on Friday 21st January.

Flickr Image: Some rights reserved by khrawlings

In April 2010, the Rudd Government announced the inquiry to develop options for structural reform of the aged care system.

The inquiry has looked at a broad range of issues including:

• the social, clinical and institutional aspects of aged care in Australia, the interests of special needs groups;
• regulatory and funding options for residential and community aged care (including the Home and Community Care program);
• the future workforce requirements of the aged care sector.

In the course of the inquiry, the Commission consulted with older Australians, their carers, aged care providers, government agencies and other interested parties.

The Inquiry has received 487 submissions.

Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) Acting CEO, Pat Sparrow says the report will be a landmark for Australia’s aged care system and the future care and support of older Australians.

ACSA is the national peak body representing Not for Profit and faith-based organisations providing residential and community aged care and housing for older Australians.

It its submission ACSA called for a whole of government approach linking all facets of aged care with a range of government portfolios including housing, local government, indigenous and multicultural affairs, planning and infrastructure and employment.

The submission also says the Commonwealth Government must have full responsibility for aged care with its funding being channeled through a single consolidated program.

COTA Australia (Council on the Ageing) Chief Executive, Ian Yates says money alone will not create the aged care system that Australians now expect but which had long been denied them.

Yates says Australia needs a system that:

• provides support and care primarily at home and in community
• gives older Australians in need of care a guaranteed, automatic entitlement
• provides choice and control over what support they receive, when and how, and
• results in greater independence

The recommendations are set out in COTA’s submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry. COTA Australia represents more than 500,000 older Australians.

The final report to Government is due in June 2011