Time to show you care about aged care | CEO opinion piece

After more than two years of thorough investigation, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety delivered its final report to the government on Friday 26 February 2021. It reveals that many older people are not receiving the care that they need and deserve, and that the Australian community expects.

Over the past two decades, successive governments have failed to act on more than 20 independent reports, which have all signalled the need for major reform in aged care.

Released publicly by the Prime Minister on 1 March, the final report from the Royal Commission is encouraging. The Commissioners appear to have developed a deep understanding of the challenges facing the sector and what is required to reform how we deliver care and support for older Australians.

The final report includes recommendations that outline the systemic change that is required to meed the needs of future generations, as well as providing options on how this may be funded. Reform of the sector is long overdue and welcome, especially where it improves the services and support for older people.

Now it is up to the government to adopt the recommendations of the report for the benefit of the current and future generations.

At Resthaven, one of only a select few aged care providers in Australia offering the full range of aged care service options, we will continue to provide outstanding care and support for older people and their carers as we have done since being established in 1935.

Resthaven is a proudly South Australian, not-for-profit aged care community service associated with the Uniting Church in Australia. We live our values of trust, dignity and choice every day, sharing the lives and wisdom of more than 12,000 people across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.

Resthaven supports the campaign calling for change by the Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC), a group of six aged care peak bodies: Aged & Community Services Australia (ACSA), Anglicare Australia, Baptist Care Australia, Catholic Health Australia, Leading Aged Services Australia (LASA) AND UnitingCare Australia. Together, the AACC represents more than 1,000 organisations who deliver 70 percent of aged care services to 1.3 million Australians, either in their own homes or in communal residential settings.

The AACC’s ‘It’s Time to Care About Aged Care’ campaign aims for a fairer system for older Australians. Sign the petition – It’s time to care about aged care.

Darren Birbeck, Chief Executive Officer Resthaven Incorporated