Seniors get support for a ‘broken system’
AGED CARE
ALMOST $18 billion in aged care funding hopes to restore trust in a “broken” system, budget documents reveal.
The $17.7bn will fund 80,000 home care packages, support 33,000 new training places for personal carers and “allow Australians to age with dignity”.
A total $272.5m over the next four years will support seniors access aged care information and navigate the system. It follows a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which found horrific cases of neglect and abuse in the system.
A Bulletin probe in March found more than 1300 elderly or infirm Gold Coasters were waiting on home care support.
“The aged care sector knows what this is about: no-strings-attached funding for providers and no clear expectation that money will be meaningfully tied to care for older Australians,” United Workers Union Aged Care director Carolyn Smith said
A further $124.7m over two years will go to supporting workers in the housing and homelessness sector. Older Australians will also be able to access a “limited lump sum” from the Pension Loans Scheme from mid-2022.
People nearing retirement will be able to make a post-tax “downsizer”
contribution of up to $300,000 per person when they sell their family home.
Gold Coast Retirees Association’s Charles Dickson said he didn’t believe the budget would “adversely affect” older people.
“There’s nothing in there that would negatively affect our members. In terms of (aged care) most would prefer to stay in their homes so if the government can do anything to help that’d be greatly welcomed.”