Catholic Health Australia has recommended that the government makes aged care "an entitlement available to every person who needs it" and replace a Howard Government allocation formula for funding with a Medicare-style entitlement.
"Australia has a rapidly ageing population and not nearly enough residential aged care to accommodate them," said CHA CEO Martin Laverty in a statement about the release of the organisation's community aged care policy blueprint.
"Most people would choose to stay in their own home for as long as possible, if given the choice. At the moment, many don?t have that choice.
The blueprint, A Better Way Forward, outlines how older Australians can achieve a better quality of life while allowing Government to save money by broadening access to at-home aged care. Among recommendations contained in it is a Medicare-style entitlement.
"Most Australians assume aged care is available to all. It's not. Under an old Howard Government formula, it?s rationed," Mr Laverty said.
"This is not understood until a crisis hits a family and there is a scramble to find care. It's time we did away with the rationing system.
"The Federal Government's aged care program currently allocates only 22 per cent of its care support to enabling people to live in their own homes.
"If Government instead adopted consistent care package across community care and residential care services, people would be able to choose whether to stay at home or move into a residential service."
FULL STATEMENT
Make aged care an entitlement like Medicare (Catholic Health Australia)
LINK
A Better Way Forward