Jewish Care behind new aged initiative
The Campaign for Care of Older Australians (CCOA) has launched The Grand Plan – a new vision for older Australians…backed by Melbourne’s Jewish Care.
CCOA is a joint effort by a group of Australia’s aged care organisations to call for an increase in support and funding for our ageing population.
Jewish Care CEO Bill Appleby said Jewish Care supported CCOA’s efforts to amplify the public voice and to demand a sustainable industry that is built on the principles of choice, accessibility, flexibility and quality.
“Fair Work Australia increased the minimum wage by 4.8%, and CPI is 2.9 %, yet the Federal Government subsidies to care for our elders rose by just 1.7%. This does not come close to providing sufficient funds for the care of older Australians. As 70% of aged care facility funding is spent on wages, this will only result in further disparity for our staff compared to their counterparts in the health industry.”
Appleby called on all political parties to commit to reforming aged care as a matter of urgency.
“A good society is judged on how well it cares for its most vulnerable. I therefore ask both parties to make a stand for older Australians,” he said.
“We need a responsive Australian government that will guarantee immediate and longer term strategies to fix the industry’s structural issues and respond quickly to the current Productivity Commission’s report.”
Jewish Care invites the Jewish community to get behind The Grand Plan and become a Grand Fan! Visit the official website and send a free postcard or email to your favourite Grand person. For each postcard or email you send, your local MP will also receive an email letting them know you want them to treat aged care as a priority.
