On Sunday, Prime Minister the Hon Scott Morrison MP announced that the Government will establish a Royal Commission into the aged care sector, in response to allegations of negligence and abuse in Australia’s nursing homes.
The terms of reference of the inquiry will be determined over the following weeks, but it is expected to focus on quality of care provided to older Australians, issues of substandard care, challenges of caring for Australians with disabilities living in residential care and other future challenges to the sector.
The commission has been welcomed by the sector, on the condition that the implementation of current reforms is not delayed.
Chief Executive of Aged and Community Services Australia, Ms Pat Sparrow, said that the inquiry would present ‘an opportunity to talk about the quality of care that the community expects, and important things like how it is to be regulated and funded sustainably so that we can deliver the best quality care’.
Senator Jordon Steele-John of the Australian Greens made an impassioned plea that the abuse against disabled people in institutional and residential settings be included in the terms of reference of the commission. During
question time on Tuesday, Senator Steele-John used parliamentary privilege to draw attention to 34 disabled Australians who he said had endured abuse or neglect in homes, workplaces, institutions and prisons.
“Before us now is a question: will justice be done for disabled people, or will we once again miss the opportunity to ensure that those in our nation who are so often made voiceless do not remain so?” he said.
Senator Steele-John is is Australia’s youngest senator and first with a lived experience of cerebral palsy.
The Prime Minister has said that the terms of reference will be determined based on consultations with the community and members of the industry.
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