Minister of Health urged to follow Disability Minister’s lead

The Minister for Disability Issues, Hon. Louise Upston, has confirmed that there will be no funding increase for disabled adults in aged care, but has asked the Aged Care Association to be involved in a solution for the sector.

Over 1,000 people with disabilities live in aged residential care facilities. The funding freeze announced recently by the Minister poses challenges for those people and the providers who care for them.

We expect our members will be seriously considering whether they can continue providing care for adults with disabilities. Aged residential care facilities are already on a knife edge, and this funding freeze makes a difficult environment even worse.

The more positive news is that Minister Upston has moved swiftly to address our concerns by establishing an internal taskforce to review disability support service funding models and the commitment to developing an engagement program where we will have the opportunity to participate. The ACA is ready to collaborate with the Taskforce to ensure that the voices of our members are heard in this important process.

We strongly urge the Minister of Health to take similar steps, by establishing a Ministerial Taskforce to work alongside us in addressing broader challenges in the aged care sector. Collaborative solutions are essential for creating a sustainable aged care system that can effectively meet the needs of our communities.