Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

In response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Morrison government will deliver a $17.7 billion package of support that will deliver respect, care and dignity to our senior Australians. This investment will deliver generational change, with improved quality care and increased viability in the sector, with services respecting the needs and choices of senior Australians. It is also the largest investment in aged care and the largest response to a royal commission in Australian history. The government has listened to the experiences of the Australians who gave evidence to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and is taking decisive action to implement the recommendations, with the reforms to deliver vital services and improved quality, care and viability in aged care. Our plans build on recent aged-care quality reforms, including those announced throughout the royal commission's inquiry, the COVID-19 pandemic and in the immediate response to the release of the final report. We welcome the royal commission's final report and have founded our response on the principles of respect, care and dignity.

In responding to the 148 recommendations, the government has accepted, or accepted in principle, 126 recommendations. Our response includes a five-year implementation plan underpinned by five pillars. These pillars are home care, residential aged-care services and sustainability, residential aged-care quality and safety, workforce, and governance. Under home care, we understand that senior Australians want to remain independent and in control, living at home and connected to their community. The government is providing $7.5 billion to home-care support, which will enable 80,000 more home-care packages, increase support for informal and family carers, increase support for senior Australians to find the aged-care services they need, increase Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission checks, and increase pricing transparency to ensure value for money. The government will also develop a new support at home program, providing better focused services for over a million people. It will give senior Australians greater choice when it comes to their care. The home-care funding will also boost residential respite services and early referrals to carer gateway services. The My Aged Care website and contact centre will continue to be a key entry point and a source of information for services and supports.

Under the residential aged-care services and sustainability pillar, the government will invest $3.9 billion over four years to increase frontline care. From 1 July a new daily fee supplement of $10 per resident per day will give immediate support for daily services, such as food, nutrition, linen and cleaning. Additional funding will support face-to-face care for each resident.

Reforms under the residential aged-care quality and safety pillar will strengthen the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to further protect senior Australians. We will invest $231.9 million to enable the commission to do more site audits, to enforce regulation of physical and chemical restraint use, to expand the Serious Incident Response Scheme to home care, to increase funding for the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service and the severe behaviour response teams and to give specialist dementia training to aged-care providers. A new star-rating system will highlight the quality of aged-care services, helping provide informed decision-making for senior Australians, their families, friends and carers.

Under the workforce pillar, the government is growing the home-care workforce by 18,000 and will provide additional financial support and incentives for registered nurses. We will also improve regulations and worker-screening arrangements to attract the right workers to the sector.

Under the final pillar, governance, the government will support aged-care providers to improve their governance and meet stronger legislative obligations. We will create a local network of department staff, ensuring national planning is informed by local issues and needs. The new Inspector-General of Aged Care will provide independent oversight, and older people will have a voice through the Council of Elders. The new National Aged Care Advisory Council will support reforms development and offer expert advice to government.

Every year under this government home-care packages are up, residential care places are up and aged-care funding is up. Based on the most recent data available, recurrent investment in home care in my electorate of Longman went from about $19.38 million in 2018-19 to $25.26 million in 2019-20 and investment in residential aged care in Longman went from $99.1 million in 2018-19 to $104 million in 2019-20. Will the minister please explain how the government has responded to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to improve the quality of care and dignity for our senior Australians?

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