3   Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety interim report

Ms Templeman, pursuant to notice, moved—That this House:

(1)        notes:

(a)        that the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety handed down its interim

report on 31 October 2019;

(b)        the commissioners identified three areas where there is a need for urgent action—these include, to:

(i)         provide more home care packages to reduce the waiting list for higher level care at home;

(ii)       respond to the significant over-reliance on chemical restraint in aged care, including through the seventh community pharmacy agreement; and

(iii)     stop the flow of younger people with disability going into aged care and expediting the process of getting those younger people who are already in aged care out;

(2)        recognises:

(a)        the commissioners stated in the interim report that they did not see any reason to delay action on these three areas;

(b)        the Government’s own Royal Commission report stated it is ‘neglect’ to not provide more home care packages;

(c)        the commissioners stated in the interim report that they have been alarmed to find that many people died while waiting for a home care package while others prematurely move into residential care;

(d)        the commissioners also stated that funding should be forthcoming from the Government to ensure the timely delivery of home care services;

(e)        more than 16,000 older Australians died waiting for their approved home care package they were assessed for in 2017-18—sadly, that was around 300 older Australians that died each week in that year waiting for care; and

(f)         more than 14,000 older Australians entered residential aged care prematurely because they couldn’t get the care they were assessed and approved for in 2017-18—sadly, that was around 200 older Australians each week having no other choice but to enter residential aged care; and

(3)        calls on the Government to take urgent action immediately and respond to the three areas included in the Royal Commission’s interim report.

Debate ensued.

The time allotted for the debate having expired, the debate was interrupted, and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for the next sitting.