Page 1061 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 1990
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particular, so many costly options are identified, it is often extremely easy for governments to say, "This is too hard"; or, "We'll pick up just a few of these points but most of these long-term planning issues can't be faced up to". I think, with respect, that as these things go we have done a very good job. I think we will be able to pick up a great many of the ideas and recommendations of that report and run with them. I am pleased with that. The report has been addressed in a fairly comprehensive and strategic way through the blueprint on the ageing that Mr Kaine announced. It covers matters such as the promotion of independence and a positive image of elderly people, health promotion and education, as well as issues relating to care and support services.
It ought to be noted that most elderly people do not experience any great disability. The specific health problems they do suffer are not wholly limited to older people - that is a point that is worth noting. There is a certain danger in segmentalising or corralling elderly people into a category that puts them off from other people in the community. The fact is many problems that occur, particularly with older people, do occur across the community; things like continence problems, stroke, dementia, and other forms of disability are common to younger people as well. Obviously they are of a particular concern to older people but they are not exclusively confined to older people. Health promotion and education, of course, can delay or prevent the onset of frail health and dependence. This is what was drawn to the attention of the Assembly by the Social Policy Committee's report. It is by no means inevitable that aged people will require extensive support or care services and there is much that can be done before such services become necessary which will postpone or prevent such care.
I hope that we do not ignore that factor. It is pretty obvious that a lot of health dollars in this community, as elsewhere, go into the addressing of health issues once they have become manifest, that is, once diseases or illnesses have actually occurred. I repeat what I have said before, the more money we can divert to health promotion and health illness prevention, the better off the community as a whole will be. That is particularly important as far as the aged are concerned because, as I have said, the majority of them do not face serious problems until very late in their lives. Many of them experience quite long periods of being in the aged category before they need any special services. The longer we can extend that period of independence and mobility the better off we will be as a community.
I want to turn to what I believe is the most exciting aspect of the Government's response to the committee's report, and that is the area of convalescent and hospice facilities. I note that Ms Follett was critical of the Government's position in a number of regards. That is perhaps fair enough, but I was disappointed that she was
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