Foreign
THE Australian government is to establish a new taskforce to oversee overhaul of the aged care system, reviewing funding arrangements and developing options for all Australians.
In a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said the Aged Care Taskforce would seek to solve how the system could be made “equitable and sustainable” for the long-term future.
“We must act now. The Baby Boomers are coming,” Wells said.
“Within a decade, our nation will have, for the first time in history, more people aged over 65 than under 18.”
“The landmark royal commission into aged care quality and safety, which handed down its final report in 2021, made 148 recommendations for change.
“But it did not reach a consensus on how to boost funding for the industry,’’ a statement from the Department of Health and Aged Care said.
Wells revealed that the proportion of Australia’s aged care providers operating at a loss had fallen from 66 per cent to 54 per cent since late 2022.
According to the 2021 national census, baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, one of Australia’s largest age groups accounted for about 21.5 per cent of the population.
“Our workforce will be ageing, with people aged 15 to 64 years predicted to decline as a proportion of total population,” Wells said.
“There will be greater pressures on the entire community. We must be innovative to address this challenge and we need a funding model that is sustainable.” (Xinhua/NAN)
A.
Tags: Anika Wells National Press Club
