The Federal Government has announced an extra $452 million in aged care funding to address immediate priorities in the crisis plagued sector.
It comes after the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was released today.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the report as "personal" as his father spent his final days at an aged care residence.
READ MORE: Doctor who gave two aged care residents vaccine overdose not trained
"I have spent the last few days poring over this. It's personal. The care of those we love is personal," Mr Morrison said.
"We are all part of a system that is supposed to be providing the best quality care we can for older Australians, particularly as they age."
The report is the culmination of 28 months of work, including 23 public hearings involving 641 witnesses.
More than 10,500 public submissions were received.
Mr Morrison described the stories and evidence unearthed by the royal commission as "harrowing".
"I warned the country we should brace for impact and be prepared for what would follow and it has been a harrowing process."
The prime minister said the aged care system must enter a "new paradigm" where residents are treated based on individual needs.
He says the belief that those in aged care homes are simply "waiting out their lives" must change.
"This is something I have believed my entire life, life is precious. You don't wait it out," Mr Morrison said.
"And the fact that Australians feel they are waiting out their life, it's impossible to put into words how you respond to that. So generational change is needed."
Mr Morrison ordered the royal commission in 2018, on the eve of an ABC Four Corners investigation into abuse in nursing homes.
It also followed a series of alarming failures over a decade at Adelaide's Oakden nursing home including mis-medication of residents, excessive use of restraints and rough handling of elderly dementia patients.
The crisis facing Australia's Aged Care sector was also highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 685 residents dying from the virus.
from 9News https://ift.tt/3q6VRKC
via IFTTT
0 Comments