CEO’s Column

LANDMARK ELECTION RESULT FOR AGED CARE

AUSTRALIANS ARE CALLING FOR CHANGE

Sean Rooney Chief Executive Officer Leading Age Services Australia

It has been a landmark federal election campaign in so many ways for the aged care sector and for the organisations that represent the thousands of providers of residential, home and community care, and retirement living to older Australians.

The fact that Australians nominated aged care as one of the top issues of concern for them in survey after survey during the campaign reflects the urgent need for real aged care reform and a public desire for real change.

This heightened public awareness places enormous pressure on the new government as it deals with what the incoming health minister, Mark Butler, has repeatedly referred to as “the crisis in aged care”.

The work of the Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC) is now complete in this phase of our campaign for the major political parties to commit to key elements of change, which is to address workforce pay, staff shortages, training and the wider issue of funding for an allied health needs assessment.

It is now the turn of our new national industry organisation, Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), to take on the mantle and press the new government for a reset of the aged care reform program borne out of the 148 recommendations of the final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission delivered in March 2021.

We as a sector will be seeking a detailed and prioritised reform program. One that focuses on the fundamentals that will underpin true reform—workforce, funding and accountability. We expect to be involved in program design and development so that reform can rightly have input at the highest level from the expertise of those who actually provide age services.

First, we need to address workforce—more staff, better skilled and qualified, and paid appropriately. Second, we need to address funding so all providers receive subsidies that resource and enable them to adequately meet the true costs of providing all the care needed by older Australians to a consistently high standard. And, thirdly, we need to ensure we are accountable for performance. That is, have in place measures and processes to demonstrate the positive difference the services provided are making in the lives of each older person, and how, in aggregate, the system provides not only good quality care, but also good value for money for the nation.

Addressing these fundamentals as the priorities of reform will provide a solid base upon which we can work collaboratively to truly transform the aged care system. Consider this an opportunity to restart the reform process with our Members seated at the negotiating table, alongside all the other key stakeholders. There is a renewed sense of purpose and a sense of urgency particularly as LASA is now united with ACSA and together as ACCPA we will have a stronger voice and a more collaborative approach to advocating on behalf of age services providers. As I step aside from my role as the CEO of LASA, I will be playing a key role in the establishment of ACCPA, leading the Transformation Program Office. Throughout this process, you, our Members, remain central to our activity, first as LASA and now as ACCPA. We will continue to provide a strong voice and a helping hand to you as we face the challenges of the pandemic and aged care reform. The creation of ACCPA builds our collective arsenal enabling us to advocate on your behalf with a unified and even stronger voice. It gives us greater power to influence the development and design of crucial aged care reforms rather than the current situation where reform is something being ‘done to us’ by people who do not work in aged care. As you may be aware, I decided in May not to seek the position of CEO of ACCPA. It was not an easy decision, but due to a range of personal and professional factors, it was the right decision. I have been proud to lead LASA since 2016 and oversee the growth of our organisation into Australia’s leading aged care representative body. It has been a privilege to be the captain of the outstanding team at LASA, work with a terrific Board, and to do my best in representing and supporting the passionate and professional organisations and staff that provide care and support for older Australians.

As I look to my future, I hope I can find other ways to contribute to the ageing and aged care agenda in Australia, while doing all I can to ensure that ACCPA realises its full potential. ■