Senator speaks on aged care
Senator Chris Evans addressed a public forum on issues relating to aged care and ageing at Woy Woy Leagues Club on Friday, 29 June.
The forum was arranged by Federal Labor candidate for Robertson, Ms Trish Moran.
"I invited Senator Evans to the Central Coast to discuss Labors Plan for quality aged care with concerned citizens and providers and to visit our nursing homes," she said.
"By taking time to listen to the community and the aged care sector, a future Labor Government will be ready to address the real problems in aged care which are so distressing (to) our elderly and their families."
One of the Senators first topics concerned the Central Coasts shortage of beds for aged care.
The Federal Government set a target of 90 residential beds per 1000 people aged over 70 years in a planning region.
The Central Coast currently had a shortage of 1200 residential beds against the Howard Governments target, Senator Evans told the forum.
"Under Labors national benchmark of care, high quality care is guaranteed, with a clear set of standards and funding for nursing homes to maintain these standards," said Senator Evans.
"Minimum staffing levels will be in place under this plan with training for nurses and carers provided
"Labors benchmark includes more surprise inspections which will occur at all times of the day and night.
"It is intended that every nursing home and hostel will be inspected at least once a year.
"Labor also plans to appoint an aged care ombudsman whose role would be to ensure that investigation of complaints about abuse of the elderly would take place quickly and fairly."
Senator Evans said that there must be tougher penalties for sub-standard nursing homes.
Labor would have experienced teams to work with nursing homes and bring their service up to the required standards, according to the senator.
However, Liberal Member for Robertson Mr Jim Lloyd rejected claims that the Howard Government was not addressing the nursing home shortage on the Central Coast.
Mr Lloyd told parliament: "When we (the Howard Government) took office, what Labor had left us in the aged care area was an absolute disgrace.
In its last four years in office, Labor reduced capital funding to aged care by 75 per cent.
"That meant that 64 per cent of people in nursing homes were in what the Labor Partys own report deemed as inadequate care.
"They did not even have an accreditation system. This was introduced by the Coalition Government to ensure that every aged care home would be visited and audits would be conducted to bring them up to scratch. There are spot checks, and monitored visits have been taking place since 1998.
"As well as bringing in the accreditation system, we have allocated a large number of additional nursing home beds.
"In 1999 on the Central Coast there were an additional 269 places; in 2000 an additional 487 places; and in 2001 an additional 800 nursing home places.
"While significant gains have been made for the provision of high quality nursing home care, there is still the need for further additional beds as the Central Coast population grows rapidly.
"I will continue to ensure that the Government provides the resources required by our Central Coast community," Mr Lloyd concluded.
Winsome Smith and media release, June 29