Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I rise to comment on the interim report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. This is a very important report. Unfortunately, as horrific and shocking as it is, for many people it isn't shocking, because they've known for a long time that in Australia our aged-care system urgently needs reform. There were many shocking personal stories of people who had received substandard care, and of a confused system. Of all the issues the commissioners heard—and we know that the final report is not coming out until November next year—the three key things that they feel need attention now are home care, restraints and young people in nursing homes.

I'll go with young people in aged care first. This is an issue that this Senate has looked at on a number of occasions. I chaired an inquiry—in fact, two inquiries—that dealt with this issue. It's been before the government for many, many years. It will require the government to allocate resources but also to drive change about the way that we support young people with disability. It's a mindset change that needs to occur. It's a matter of implementing their own commitment to supported accommodation; to implementing, in fact, the regulations they've put in place. It is not beyond this country's ability to deal with this issue, but in the past there's been an absolute lack of will.

In this chamber in the near future there's going to be a debate about restraints. There's currently, as we in fact heard earlier today, a regulation before this chamber. I don't intend to debate that now, but I will take the opportunity to urge all senators to look at the evidence that has been given already to the Joint Standing Committee on Human Rights. Go and read the transcripts, the Hansards,of the evidence that has been received. Go and read the submissions about the urgent need to address restraints. It is a blot on this country that we are applying both physical and chemical restraints to such a high degree in our residential aged-care facilities to manage behaviour—not for therapeutic processes; this is to manage behaviour. We urgently need to address this issue. We need to aim for the elimination—or not aim for but commit to the elimination of the use of restraints to manage people's behaviour. That means, again, the whole mindset about the way that we support older Australians.

Then we get to home care packages. Again, we've known for a long time that home care urgently needs to be addressed. We continue to argue about how long the waiting list is, without standing still and saying, 'It is absolutely shocking that we have a waiting list.' That is important, and it urgently needs to be addressed.

But, also importantly, we need to start addressing and preparing for what will come in the final royal commission report—that is, a change in mindset, a fundamental reform, around the delivery of aged care and supporting older Australians in this country, both in their homes and in aged-care facilities, as well as those with dementia. We know that there are a growing number of older people with acuity going into aged care because they are living longer and are healthier for longer. But it means that, when they are ready for aged care, they are quite ill, and people are making decisions hastily when they end up in emergency rooms. That should not be happening in this country.

I urge people to read this report and look at what it means for the way we think about aged care in this country. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.