OPINION Continued from page 7
The AACC, a collaboration of Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), Aged and Community Services Australia, UnitingCare Australia, Catholic Health Australia, Anglicare Australia and Baptist Care Australia—which together represent more than 1,000 of Australia’s aged care providers—successfully campaigned for reform in the lead up to the Government’s Budget response in May.
Crucially, the sector has demonstrated leadership and shown what can be achieved when we focus our resources and efforts through the unified voice of the AACC. In addition to the aged care reform campaign, in July the AACC joined with the ACTU and major health and community service unions and organisations and sought to work with Government to get the COVID-19 vaccination rollout for aged care staff back on track.
In June, the AACC wrote to Ministers Hunt and Colbeck, as well as the Prime Minister, outlining the principles and priorities for the transformational overhaul of the aged care system, as recommended by the Royal Commission.
LASA will continue to advocate for our Members, and for the sector in general, to ensure that we have a seat at the table in shaping these once-in-a-lifetime reforms. The vast experience and knowledge of our combined membership means we have much to contribute towards achieving significant and lasting change.
Unfortunately, their responses to date leaves the aged care sector significantly concerned that the once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix our broken aged care system will not translate into meaningful actions and tangible outcomes. This would result in older Australians, and the workers and services that care for and support them, being left behind in a system that the Royal Commissioners found to be ‘unacceptable and unsustainable’. At present, the door appears to be shut on the sector’s involvement in the planning process on the landmark aged care reforms recommended by the Royal Commission. This needs to change.
As we reflect on the past two decades of inquiries and reports, all of which failed to bring about real change, we know that reform is the shared responsibility of stakeholders across the aged care sector from providers, to care providers, care recipients, allied health, medical and government. The team at LASA look forward to sharing the reform journey with our Members and in the interests of the older Australians you care for and support. ■
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