Senator NEWMAN —Yesterday I undertook to get some more information for Senator Allison, and I seek leave to have that answer from the Minister for Family Services, Mrs Moylan, incorporated in Hansard .

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE

SENATOR ALLISON—13 MAY 1997

ACCOMMODATION: DISABLED

SENATOR ALLISON—My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Family Services. Minister, the Council of Intellectual Disability told a New South Wales parliamentary committee yesterday that almost 1,000 young disabled people in New South Wales are forced to live in nursing homes with elderly residents. Minister, do you consider nursing homes to be appropriate permanent accommodation for young people with disabilities and mental illness? Minister, how many young disabled people are there throughout Australia in such accommodation? Why does the Aged Care Bill not mention people with disabilities or how they will be affected by the nursing home entry fees?

Senator Newman—I do not believe personally that they are ideal places for people with severe disabilities, if they are young, to spend years in. However, that has been a point of last shelter, you might say, for many years for people for whom there was no other appropriate accommodation. That means that under the previous government that was the situation too.

I know that Mrs Moylan has been having a lot of discussion in recent times with the states to see what we can do better for people in Australia with disabilities. I know that this government has been across portfolios focusing very much on improving the lot of people with disabilities and their carers. Beyond that, obviously, at this stage of the day, I am not able to say any more.

SENATOR ALLISON—I thank the minister for her response. However, we would like to know what the government is prepared to do, particularly in the case where we end up with a two tier system in nursing homes, as many people believe we will with your so-called reform? What sort of accommodation and services can we expect for the young people?

Senator Newman—I am happy to take that on notice to the minister responsible, Madam President.

Answer

Accommodation for younger people with a disability is the responsibility of the States under the Commonwealth State Disability Agreement.

Nursing homes principally provide care for the frail aged. Younger people with a disability are only placed in aged persons nursing homes if suitable accommodation is unavailable and as a last resort. There were 882 younger people, aged less than 50 years of age, and 21 people under 20 years of age in aged persons nursing homes, nationally as at 31 December 1996.

Of course, I (Moylan) agree that this is not a desirable situation and believe that younger people with a disability should be in a setting which is more appropriate to their age and care needs. However, there may be a variety of reasons why, as a last resort, younger people with a disability seek entry to a nursing home. For example, it can sometimes be the only viable arrangement to enable a person to remain close to their family, particularly in a rural area.

Clearly, the residential aged care system should retain the flexibility to respond to these situations.

Younger people with a disability will remain eligible for entry to aged care facilities under the new arrangements where entry is the most appropriate response to their care needs.

Younger people with a disability currently pay 87.5 per cent of their pension in fees with the Commonwealth paying an additional amount to meet any shortfall. A parallel arrangement will be maintained under the hardship provisions of the new funding arrangements to ensure that younger people are not disadvantaged.

As most younger people with a disability will have only limited assets in their own right it is expected that they will qualify as concessional residents and not be required to pay an accommodation bond. As concessional residents, they will have access to a proportion of places reserved for concessional residents with providers paid a higher subsidy on their behalf.

It is expected that a large number of those who do not meet the concessional resident requirements will be in receipt of a compensation payment.

Younger people with a disability will have the same standard of accommodation and care services as other residents. This will be ensured through the new quality assurance arrangements which will apply to all facilities irrespective of the resident profile.

The introduction of new arrangements in residential aged care will not mean any fundamental change in access for younger people with a disability or reduction in the quality of their care.