Media release
From the Minister for Housing & Aged Care
EMPTY PROMISES FROM HOWARD LEAVES EMPTY BEDS
While thousands of older Victorians and their families are desperate to find a nursing home bed, the Commonwealth Government is aware of good facilities that are ready to open immediately, but won't provide the necessary licences.
The aged care bed shortage in Victoria has reached chronic proportions, with the shortfall now estimated to be more than 5000.
Victorian Aged Care Minister Bronwyn Pike today visited Cabrini Residential Care Facility in Ashwood, where 60 new nursing home beds have recently been completed, but lie empty because the Commonwealth Government have refused applications for the necessary licences.
The fully equipped new nursing home facility is in an area where places are urgently needed and could be opened within days if the Howard Government provided the necessary funding approvals.
"The Howard Government has regularly promised beds, but until they issue licences and funding approvals, those promises remain like the 60 brand new beds at Cabrini - empty," Ms Pike said.
Latest Department of Human Services estimates reveal that Victoria is more than 5000 beds short of the Federal Government's own operational benchmark for aged care beds.
The Federal Government has promised enough beds to top the benchmark in Victoria, but these promises have not been backed with action to licence and fund beds.
"The Bracks Government, on behalf of Victoria's older citizens, is calling upon the Howard Government to release funding to places like Cabrini and in next Tuesday's Federal Budget, to ensure that funds are available to open aged care beds in Victoria immediately," Ms Pike said.
For some older Victorians and their families, the difficulties of finding a nursing home place is extremely traumatic and many older Victorians are either uncomfortable waiting in an acute hospital environment or elsewhere without the care they need.
Ms Pike said this week's Federal Budget needed to deliver at least 5000 beds to Victoria immediately in order to alleviate the crisis in Victoria's Aged Care system.
"According to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics, in June 2000 there were 34,688 aged care beds in Victoria, but the Howard Government has continued to claim that there were more places available," Ms Pike said.
"Because the population is ageing, Victoria needs approximately 800 more residential aged care places by June 2001, so Victoria now needs at least 5,000 extra beds to meet the Commonwealth's own benchmarks.
"Older Victorians needing residential aged care are currently being short changed to the tune of at least $164 million per year.
"While the Howard Government has hidden behind rhetoric and empty promises, thousands of frail older Victorians and their families have been put through enormous stress trying to find appropriate accommodation and care."
The Federal Government plans the allocation of aged care places and has exclusive powers to licence, fund and regulate aged care beds across Australia.
Ms Pike will visit Cabrini Residential Aged Care Facility TODAY to talk about the Commonwealth Government's neglect of older Victorians.
WHEN: 10AM, Sunday 21 May 2001
WHERE: Cabrini Residential Aged Care Facility, 54 Queens Parade, Ashwood
Media contact: Tim Winkler - 0407 688 632 www.vic.gov.au