Aged Care needs reform and flexibility for the future

08/06/11

SENATOR CONCETTA FIERRAVANTI – WELLS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGEING
SHADOW MINISTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH

GEORGE CHRISTENSEN MP
LNP MEMBER FOR DAWSON

Aged Care services in Mackay and the Whitsundays are too important to be neglected by the Federal Labor Government.

Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the Shadow Minister for Ageing and Shadow Minister for Mental Health, has been visiting Aged Care centres with George Christensen, Federal Member for Dawson today and more meetings are planned tomorrow in Bowen and Ayr.

“The Federal Government has been dragging its feet over aged care reform and has virtually ignored the sector in the budget and in the latest health reforms,” Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.

“Whatever reforms are introduced must be done in consultation with the sector, not imposed by government. Flexibility will lead to viability in regional centres and in cities.

Mr Christensen said aged care needs reform and it needs it sooner rather than later.

“Out ethical and moral standards, in fact the overall health of our society, can be judged by the way we treat our elderly and infirm,” he said.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells and Mr Christensen visited Good Shepherd Lodge in Mackay this morning before meeting with the Proserpine Aged Care facility in Proserpine and Resthaven in Mackay.

“There are a range of problems the aged care industry faces, including funding and the shortage of beds in areas like Proserpine,” Mr Christensen said. “Some issues urgently need to be addressed, like the rate-of-pay discrepancy between aged care nurses and their hospital counterparts.

“This week is a good opportunity for the Shadow Minister to gather information and learn about the real issues the industry faces in North Queensland. From here, we can continue to work on making improvements on the system that can provide better outcomes for the elderly and the community.”