Aged care shortage 'looming', warns Chamber

The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has warned of a "looming aged care housing shortage" on the Peninsula following the release last month from the Department of Health and Ageing of the 2011 aged care approvals round.

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Mr Matthew Wales said no residential care places were taken up on the Peninsula, the area of greatest demand.

He said council zoning meant land was not available for aged care housing.

"The Chamber will be making representations to Gosford Council with the view to encouraging a pro-active debate on land availability and the provision of aged care services on the Woy Woy Peninsula," said Mr Wales.

"We are very concerned that of the 250 residential care places allocated for the Central Coast Planning Region in 2011 only 68 were taken up, leaving a shortfall of 182 places," said

"There are a number of key factors for the under subscription including the lack of suitably zoned land for residential aged care housing on the Peninsula and the current difficulty in obtaining developer funding for these key housing projects.

"The shortfall in availability and allocated places has been an ongoing trend in recent years which is causing growing concern that our older population will face an aged care housing crisis over the next few years."

Mr Wales said QCare director Australia Mr Lyal Allen had confirmed that land availability was a likely contributor to the shortfall in places.

"Local providers are aware that the non availability of suitably zoned land is likely to have been a main contributor toward the shortfall in places sought under the 2010 ACAR and suspect that a similar situation has carried forward to the current ACAR," said Mr Allen.

"What is concerning for the Woy Woy Peninsula is that as of the June 30, 2011, the region was below the target number of operational places on stream with little prospect at the moment of new aged care facilities being built to accommodate the looming demand.

"With below benchmark operational places and having the lowest supply ratio in NSW, the Central Coast (and particularly the Woy Woy Peninsula) faces at least a two to three year shortfall in residential aged care accommodation," he said.

Mr Wales said: "Since Gosford Council prepared its 2009 Aged Care Report, the Federal uptake levels have fallen away.

"This is a worrying trend when the Peninsula has almost twice the NSW average age distribution for persons over 55 with a steady stream of older people who will be looking for higher levels of aged care.

"What we don't want to see is older Australians being forced into finding accommodation off the Peninsula, separated from their family, friends and established social networks.

"They should be able to enjoy their latter years here on Peninsula in appropriate high quality residential aged care facilities."

Media Release, 24 Jan 2012 Matthew Wales, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce