Catholic Healthcare welcomes the government's commitment to fund the next stage of the Work Value case for aged care workers. This is a much-needed recognition of the hard work and support of our frontline workers who provide care to older Australians.
It is also pleasing that an additional 24,000 new Home Care Packages have been funded. However, this is not enough to address the growing waitlist.
Catholic Healthcare is also disappointed that the recommendations from the Aged Care Taskforce were not mentioned in last night’s federal budget.
Catholic Healthcare CEO Josh McFarlane said, “It is imperative that the government responds to the Taskforce’s report recommendations now. The sector has waited six months for the government to respond, and we cannot wait any longer. We urgently need new funding structures to provide certainty and promote investment in services for the increasing needs of older people. Long-term viability and predictable growth are key factors to attract investment in the sector.”
“As a large provider of aged care services, we join other providers in our industry in urging the government to get serious about enacting funding reforms. Older Australians deserve safe, high-quality care throughout the community, delivered through a sustainable model,” said Mr McFarlane.
Many aged care homes, particularly those located in regional and remote areas, continue to operate at a loss.
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