THE Federal Government’s $430 million cut in aged care funding this fi nancial year has “deeply concerned” Longridge Aged Care management.
The Department of Health and Ageing aims to save money through the aged care funding instrument subsidy payments.
An extra $50 million was also cut as part of the
Living Longer Living Better announcement.
Longridge executive offi cer and director of care Liz Broadstock said: “This will reduce the level of funding for new residents and may lead to a reduction in the number of staff, therefore impacting on the level of care provided.
“This is not in the best interests of one of the most vulnerable groups in our society.
“These subsidy reductions are taking place in an environment where the need for nursing home care is growing and when many nursing homes are already struggling to survive under existing funding arrangements.”
The Aged and Community Services Australia organisation has initiated a nationwide petition.
Longridge chairman Paul Nikkerud said: “We are going to approach members of the community and ask them to make the petitions available to everyone.”
He said the government’s budget cuts would reflect badly on this year’s Longridge budget.
“It’s going to have a severe impact,” he said. Longridge has 78 staff and about 60 volunteers.
“You can’t deliver care without the funding of staff,” Mrs Broadstock said. “If a current resident - Mrs Z for example - is living at Longridge but needed to be hospitalised for more than a month following a fall, on her return, under these new arrangements, Longridge will get $20,000 less per year to meet her needs - despite the fact she is becoming more frail.”
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