PM pumps $537 million into improving aged care

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed more than $500 million towards fixing problems in aged care, weeks after a royal commission investigating the scandal-prone sector released a damning interim report.

The Prime Minister has promised $537 million to increase home care packages, reduce the use of chemical restraints and get younger people out of residential aged care.

‘We can and must do better in providing improved support for our older Australians,’ Prime Minister Morrison said on Monday.

‘Like every Australian, we were appalled by the revelations of the interim report; however, we will do everything we can to build an aged care system of the highest quality.’

Prime Minister Morrison’s three-pronged plan hinges on increasing the number of home care packages by 10,000 places.

It also involves providing better medication management and dementia training for nursing home staff, and introducing new targets to remove younger people with disabilities from residential facilities.

‘I want to stress again that what we really need to establish above and beyond everything else is a culture of respect for older Australians,’ Prime Minister Morrison said.

The additional 10,000 home care packages will be rolled out from next month, with a particular focus on those with higher levels of need.

From the start of next year, there will be much stronger restrictions placed on the use of anti-psychotic medicines.

A timeline has also been set for removing younger Australians from aged care: 

• Nobody under the age of 65 entering residential aged care by 2022
• Nobody under the age of 45 living in residential aged care by 2022
• Nobody under the age of 65 living in residential aged care by 2025.

aged care funding royal commission