With 98% of aged care beds in South Australia already at capacity, Ageing Australia seeks to work with the Government on ways we can solve this ongoing problem.
“We urge the South Australian Government to work with the sector to find solutions. We truly believe there are other measures not yet offered by the Government that can be explored together,” Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said.
While additional capital funding and new support for complex care needs were positive steps, other proposals would unfairly penalise providers for issues outside their control.
“You can’t fix hospital blockages by punishing aged care providers already under pressure. We need partnership, not penalties. Aged Care is at near peak capacity, so we need to find a way together.”
Ageing Australia is calling for collaborative, system-wide solutions that ensure older people are getting the right care in the right setting.
“Providers are ready to be part of the solution—but threatening funding cuts, and public shaming for not accepting high-needs hospital patients, who cannot be realistically supported under current settings, goes too far,” Mr Symondson said.
The issue will persist unless the root causes of delayed discharge are addressed. In recent years financial viability issues have limited the ability for providers to invest in refurbishing facilities and new builds – both of which will be critical for the sector to be able to meet growing demand as the population ages.
“It is also critical that aged care services receive adequate funding to meet the increasingly complex needs of older people who require residential care. In particular, many of those older people in hospital for an extended period have clinical and care needs that far outstrip the staffing available in aged care currently.”
“We continue to push for a coordinated national strategy on bed capacity, involving both state and the federal governments.”
