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Productivity Commission Report Represents ‘Opportunity of a Lifetime’
8 August 2011
Leading seniors lifestyle and care provider, IRT has welcomed the long awaited final report from the Caring for Older Australians inquiry, released by the Productivity Commission today.
IRT Chief Executive, Nieves Murray said the report represents the opportunity of a lifetime for the structural reform of the aged care sector.
“As the population ages, pressure on the current system intensifies and the need for reform becomes more apparent,” Ms Murray said.
“Nothing is more important than supporting our seniors to the highest standards of dignity and respect, and the current system is clearly in need of an overhaul.
“We hope the outcome of the inquiry is a framework that empowers seniors, promotes independence and funds a collaborative approach to supporting seniors in our community.”
IRT has had a close involvement with the Productivity Commission inquiry, making a number of submissions and hosting the Commissioners for an industry forum and a number of site visits in 2010.
Ms Murray said IRT was pleased that the final report had adopted a number of key recommendations from its submissions to the Productivity Commission.
These recommendations included removing distinctions between care levels, removing caps and per-capita bed licences, reducing regulatory burdens for providers and creating a one-stop-shop for aged care consumers.
“All these recommendations have been adopted in the Productivity Commission’s proposals,” Ms Murray said.
Ms Murray said she hoped implementation of the recommendations contained in the report would result in making aged care simple for seniors, straightforward for providers and efficient for government.
“Of course the key issue is the requirement for increased funding to meet the needs of an ageing population, which is exacerbated by the increased incidence of dementia and the shortage of skilled employees in the sector,” Ms Murray said.
“The Prime Minister has committed to aged care reform during her second term of office and this report provides the blueprint for the creation of a sustainable aged care sector into the future.
“We look forward to engaging with the Government as it develops its response to the final report.”
For further information please contact:
Melissa Michie
Communications Coordinator
Phone: 4221 6653 or 0419 789 841
