Standing up for Seniors

“Seniors in Macquarie are being short-changed by the Howard Government. A Rudd Labor government would bring a new focus to the issues that face older Australians.” – Bob Debus

A Rudd Labor Government would bring greater focus to the issues that face seniors. Older Australians would benefit from an end to the blame game between the state and federal governments in the area of health policy. Over the last 11 years of Howard Government, we have seen the number of aged care beds drop; a federal dental scheme relied on by many working families and senior Australians scrapped; and the ever increasing cost of living pressures on older Australians.

Labor commits itself to seniors by:

1. Addressing the cost of living pressures on older Australians

2. Establishing a Commonwealth Dental Health Program

3. Delivering National Health Reform and ending the blame game on Aged Care

4. Establishing an Ambassador for the Ageing

Addressing the Cost of Living Pressures

Mr Howard always talks about the Australian economy, but he never mentions how older Australians are feeling the pinch at home. He recently stated that Australian families "have never been better off". But many seniors are doing it tough – the price of petrol, heating their homes, groceries and the high cost of childcare – which means they have to assist with the care of their grandchildren to help their children get by.

Older Australians struggle to make ends meet on low fixed incomes such as the aged pension and while many self-funded retirees have some assets, they are cash poor. The fastest growing group of the population is older Australians - people aged over 65. There are more than 2.5 million Australians over 65; the very people who helped create prosperity in this nation.

That is why Labor announced a senate inquiry into the cost of living pressures on older Australians to ensure that they enjoy the prosperity which they helped create for us all.

Fixing the Dental Healthcare Crisis

Over the past 11 years the Howard government has withdrawn $1.1 billion in dental services. As a first step, a Rudd Labor government will fund up to one million additional dental consultations by establishing a Commonwealth Dental Health Program.

A recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report concluded that up to 30 percent of Australians avoided dental care due to the cost. With hundreds of thousands of older Australians on dental waiting lists, now is the time for national leadership on the issue. A Rudd Labor Government will help clear this backlog.

Health Reform and Ending the Blame Game on Aged Care

Labor is strongly committed to improving health care and ending the blame game between the federal government and the states. Older Australians and young families will benefit from a Rudd Labor Government’s focus on health care with the implementation of the National Health Reform Plan, which will see an injection of $2 billion into the hospital system.

Labor’s commitments in to the health of Older Australians include:

*Federal Labor’s Aged Care initiative, $158 million will be invested over the next five years to create up to 2,000 transition care beds for older Australians who are currently waiting in hospital beds for an aged care bed. and allow others to return to their home.
* Federal Labor will also provide $300 million of loans at zero real interest rates to aged care providers to make up to 2,500 permanent residential aged care beds available to older Australians sooner.

Federal Labor’s plan will make the move from hospital to residential aged care a priority for those older Australians who - more appropriately for their care - need a bed in a nursing home.

* The investment of $220 million to establish GP Super Clinics in local communities – bolstering frontline health care for older Australians and their families.

Labor’s investment will ensure more Australians have access to doctors, nurses, specialists and allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, podiatrists, dieticians and psychologists, all in one centre, in their local community where they need them.

An Ambassador for the Ageing

Senator Jan McLucas, Shadow Minister for Ageing, Disabilities and Carers recently announced that a Rudd Labor government will establish an ambassador for Ageing to positively promote respect for and the value of older Australians.

" When the first Intergenerational Report was released in 2002 the Treasurer spoke of the fiscal burden that our country was facing," Senator McLucas said. "That language – talk of older people as a burden – was highly offensive to older people, and they have made that known to me very plainly," Senator McLucas said.

Governments need to plan for our ageing population to ensure that they provide the services that senior Australians need. Through the establishment of an Ambassador for Ageing, Labor wants to give older Australians a strong advocate to promote positive programs and policies.

Labor will also establish a Ministerial Council on Ageing reporting to COAG – as we do in education, health and justice to ensure that policies and programs in State and Territory governments are also focussed on inclusion of older people. Coordination, not duplication of positive ageing programs will be the primary task of the Ministerial Council.