Opposition claims the Government is still failing on aged care beds

Labor’s Shadow Minister on Ageing and Disability, Senator Jan McLucas said that the recently released Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997, July 2005-June 2006, shows the Howard Government is still failing to meet the residential aged care needs of frail older Australians.

She said that, according to the Report, there are only 85.6 residential aged care beds for every 1000 people aged 70 years and over, compared with the Government’s target of 88 beds – which was reduced from 90 in 2004. This leaves a shortfall of 4,613 beds across the country at June 2006, with the worst provision being in the ACT.

“The Howard Government has consistently failed to provide sufficient aged care beds needed for the increasingly frail elderly in Australia,” Senator McLucas said.

“Even though the Government keeps claiming it is providing more aged care places, they are just not keeping up with the ageing of the population in Australia.

“In 10 long years, the Howard Government has turned a surplus of 800 aged care beds in 1996 into a 4613 shortfall in June 2006. When Labor left Government there were 92 beds for every 1000 people aged 70 years an over compared with only 85.6 now.”