"We've known for
some time that older Australians are being adversely impacted by out of date
aged care regulation. In some circumstances the system is constraining older
Australians from easy access to quality care," CHA CEO Martin Laverty said.
"Today's
Productivity Commission report has made it clear that out-of-date government
regulation is to blame. The current Government must now commit to scrapping
those rules that, in the words of the Productivity Commission, encroach
on the rights of clients and their quality of life."
The Productivity Commission report, the
Annual Review of Regulatory Burdens
on Business: Social and Economic Infrastructure Services, recommends:
- Removing the restriction on bonds as
a source of funding,
- Redesigning the accreditation
visits program,
- Increasing choice for aged care
consumers by relaxing supply constraints in the provision of aged care
services, and
- Providing better information to older
people and their families so they can make more meaningful comparisons in
choosing an aged care service.
"CHA has been
calling on the Government for some time to undertake the reforms that have now
also been proposed by the Productivity Commission," Mr Laverty said.
"With independent experts such as the Productivity Commission now
backing the case for change, we look forward to the Government outlining its
own plans to ensure Australia has a sustainable aged care system able to
provide quality care for all who need it."
Source: CHA
LIN
