Page 930 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 April 1994
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MRS CARNELL (Leader of the Opposition) (3.45): Madam Speaker, I would like to add a couple of statements to those that have already been very adequately made by Mr Kaine and Mr Cornwell. In a very interesting part of the Chief Minister's statement she talked about support for the home and community care program - which, to quote her, "enables most older people to remain in their own homes rather than in hostels and nursing homes". What a very laudable statement, Madam Speaker. Unfortunately, she forgot to say that she has virtually frozen funds to the home and community care program, the HACC program, at the 1991-92 levels at a time when she herself says that our ageing population is increasing, and increasing quite dramatically.
The Commonwealth has understood that these services are absolutely essential for the ageing population all over Australia, and they have made more money available on a dollar-for-dollar basis to the State governments. But has the ACT picked that up? No, they have not. Why? Simply because they do not care. They do not care about our ageing population. The Commonwealth Government has made more money available, because they understand that more money needs to go into home and community care services. What is the outcome of this funding freeze by the ACT Government? What has happened? Obviously, we have waiting list problems in our home and community care area. It is hard to get house cleaning services. At times it is almost impossible to get your grass cut. In fact, little old ladies are living in darkness because they cannot change a light bulb.
Mr Kaine: There will not even be a number to call in May, because they will have closed up office.
MRS CARNELL: That is right. Why? Because there just is not any money left in the HACC program. That is because the ACT Government has not made money available. The Chief Minister goes on to say that she is very proud that only 3 per cent of older people are in nursing homes and 4 per cent in hostels. The reason only 3 per cent and 4 per cent are in those establishments is that there just are not any beds for them. The ACT Council on the Ageing say that there are over 40 people currently waiting for beds in nursing homes in the ACT. Those are people who are in all sorts of difficulty waiting for those beds.
Why are people waiting? Because no sensible decision has been made on the Jindalee nursing home. How often in this place have we debated what should happen with Jindalee? The Council on the Ageing say that COTA has reports from residents and their carers that Jindalee is not meeting the individual needs of residents; that there is an obvious lack of occupational and diversional therapy; that good nutrition is a problem; that personal care is a problem. Yet no decision has been made on the Jindalee nursing home, even though two Assembly reports have suggested that Jindalee at least partially, if not totally, must be sold and that a stand-alone facility or two facilities should be built. Nothing has happened, except that the standard of care at Jindalee has continued to decrease because there are funding problems.
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