With the election behind them, will Labor shift focus to aged care?

After passing historic aged care legislation in November, the Albanese government swiftly shifted into election mode, opting for a more universally effective campaign strategy; Medicare reform.

However, after its landslide victory on Saturday the Labor party is under pressure, from providers and peak bodies alike, to show up for the aged care sector in these last weeks leading up to July 1.

On Monday, during the Prime Minister’s first presser since being re-elected, Mr Albanese said that the first legislative priority of his second term is cutting student debt by 20 per cent. Aged care was only mentioned in passing by the PM when referring to the bureaucratic “mess” the party inherited from the Coalition in 2022.

Ageing Australia chief Tom Symondson has consistently used his voice to call for more flexibility for providers in the lead up to July 1, particularly in the case of transitioning to the government’s new Support at Home Program.

“Supporting transition to the new Act, addressing the workforce crisis and improving access for older Australians must be a national priority moving forward,” Mr Symondson said.

“We fully support the introduction of the new Act and the charter of rights for older Australians, but the plain truth is providers simply won’t have enough time to implement all of the reforms by 1 July, with the real risk of creating mass confusion for older Australians and the sector as a whole.”

With the Department of Health and Aged Care's latest decision to require new service agreements for every CHSP care recipient, Mr Symondson said being ready for the new Aged Care Act had become “truly impossible.”

“Both providers and older people need to get across the changes to the aged care system, however, we don’t yet know what those final changes are and we still don’t have all the information we need to get on with the job.”

“We have an opportunity to deliver these once in a generation reforms in a way that makes the lives of older people better – we cannot afford to squander it.”

Affordability crisis

Prior to the election, COTA Australia chief Patricia Sparrow warned the government that older people feel that they are being left out of the current national debate.

“The issues older Australians are looking for action on include things like affordable dental care, supporting renters, reducing the cost of living pressures, introducing a strategy for an ageing Australia, and providing housing options for older women at risk of homelessness,“ Ms Sparrow said.

“Our political leaders seem determined to ignore the elephant in the room – that the issues facing older people today are issues facing every generation. If not today, then in years to come. If we’re lucky, we’re all an older person waiting to happen.”

Ms Sparrow has urged the government to commit to targeted housing action, with older women being one of the fastest growing groups at risk of homeless in Australia.

“We’re not far off having half a million older women at risk of homelessness across the country. These are our often mothers and grandmothers who, through no fault of their own, have found themselves without basic, permanent shelter,” Ms Sparrow said.

“A national response is needed. The Federal Government must act now – older women have worked and contributed all their lives. They deserve stable housing.”

A negligible Aged Pension increase in March has amplified the risk of vulnerable Australians falling through the cracks.

Palliative care

Over 40,000 signatures on Palliative Care Australia’s (PCA) pre-election petition shows that the nation is calling out for better access to palliative care.

PCA is calling for specific palliative care reform in Labor’s second term, highlighting four immediate actions the Anthony Albanese can take to improve access for all Australians:

1. Better access to palliative care in primary care.
2. Better access to critical palliative care medicines.
3. Better access to palliative care in aged care.
4. Better access to support at home for people under 65 with a terminal illness.

“Measures that improve key systems like Medicare are good for palliative care,” PCA chief Camilla Rowland said.

“But more is needed. We urge the re-elected Albanese Government to adopt specific, targeted measures during this term, that start to address the growing demand for palliative care.

“Over the next two decades the number of people aged over 85 will be more than one million. We have no time to waste when it comes to meeting their care needs.”