EMMA MCBRIDE MP
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR DOBELL
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR CARERS

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF AGED CARE ROYAL COMMISSION

Today marks one year since the final report from the Aged Care Royal Commission was handed down and sadly, it seems like nothing has changed.

The Royal Commission made 148 findings in its final report after receiving more than 10,000 public submissions, and it uncovered shocking cases of neglect in Australia’s aged care sector.

Unfortunately, the Federal Government’s response to these findings has been inadequate and they are still failing to act.

“The Royal Commission summed up Australia’s aged care sector in one word: neglect,” Federal Member for Dobell, Emma McBride said.

“We have aged care workers who are run off their feet and older Australians who are malnourished and aren’t having their wounds tended to.

“The Morrison Government has neglected aged care for almost a decade and now, they have let the sector fall further into crisis.”

Standards of care, understaffing, and wages are some of the biggest issues facing the aged care sector and they must be addressed.

Instead, we have a Prime Minister who cut funding to the aged care sector twice when he was Treasurer, and we have an Aged Care Minister who decided to go the cricket in the middle of a pandemic.

“This Government has abandoned aged care workers and older, vulnerable Australians in their care,” Ms. McBride said.

“We deserve a world-class aged care system where older Australians are given the respect and dignity they deserve.

“It’s well past time something was done – we need to fix Australia’s aged care system.”

TUESDAY, 1 MARCH 2022