SPECIAL REPORT: The upcoming aged care royal commission will shine a spotlight on the industry, and while some are hopeful of a positive outcome, others are concerned.
The upcoming aged care royal commission will shine a spotlight on the industry, and while some are hopeful of a positive outcome, others are concerned.
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was established late last year at the same time as the nation grappled with concerning misconduct findings at the inquiry into the major banks and finance sector.
And while the two are unrelated, some in the aged care sector hope the scathing findings of the banking inquiry and unremitting media coverage that resulted are not a template for how their own royal commission may play out, particularly given the emotive nature of the subject matter.
According to the recently released terms of reference, the aged care royal commission will inquire into the quality of aged care services in Australia, including reports of mistreatment, how best to deliver care to those with disabilities and dementia, and future financial challenges.
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The commission will hold its first public hearing in Adelaide this Friday.
As organisations finalise submissions for the upcoming inquiry, Amana Living chief executive Stephanie Buckland is hopeful it will have a long-term positive impact.
Ms Buckland said Amana Living, an independent arm of the wider Anglicare Australia network, had been able to share information with organisations nationally to get an understanding of industry concerns and expectations.
“I think naturally there will be some stories that will come out which are disturbing and upsetting, where things have not gone well in an aged care setting,” Ms Buckland told Business News.
“But I’m hopeful that they’re going to come up with some recommendations that will provide us with a better system in the future.
“Naturally, there’s some nervousness in the sector.”
Ms Buckland said she was heartened by what she called the commission’s forward-looking terms of reference.
A trend towards in-home care, the biggest area of client increase for Amana Living, would need to be discussed, she said, as well as issues in the service of rural clients.
“In terms of the facilities and services that are available in rural areas, it’s very difficult for them to be sustainable,” Ms Buckland said.
“It’s hard to attract staff, and all of the things you need to do to operate a property are more expensive.”
Funding for aged care would be another major issue on the table, Ms Buckland said.
Given the Commonwealth currently funds around 70 per cent of aged care services in Australia, she noted that either government or individuals would soon be forced to increase their contribution.
“Unfortunately I think what’s been happening recently is that the government has pushed a lot of the cost back on providers,” Ms Buckland said.
“To a certain extent that tension is good, because it forces providers to be more innovative and think about how we can provide services better and more efficiently.
“But it only goes to a certain point, and at some point in time there needs to be adequate funding to provide the services that are required.”
Other aged care industry players expressed apprehension about the impact of the royal commission.
One prominent industry executive told Business News the royal commission would be substantially more complex and emotive than the banking inquiry.
“Firstly, it’s not talking about people’s assets, it’s talking about people’s lives,” he said.
“Secondly, I think what’s going to come out in the aged care royal commission is a lot of the organisations that get bad press may well be church and charitable organisations, and even government.”
Two essential elements to be resolved will be staffing and funding for the industry, as the Australian population continues to age.
The executive said that, given the relative size of the aged care industry compared with the banks, aged care had less clout and would be put under extreme pressure by the commission.
It was highly likely that the commission would be extended, he said, given the complexity, number, and emotive nature of the submissions.
Based on the stories that had already emerged concerning misconduct in aged care, it was to be expected that the commission would be far more emotionally taxing on the public
“If you think about what came out of the banking royal commission, it was consumers being ripped off, or paying for products they didn’t need, or dead people paying for products,” he said.
“This is a much more emotive issue than the bank ripping you off; there is going to be more emotion with this one, and more policy issues emerging.”
