APSL respond to the 2012 Federal Budget
By natasha | May 10, 2012
The Australian Pensioners’ and Superannuants’ League, Qld Inc. (APSL) welcomes aspects of the 2012/2013 Federal Budget. In particular, the additional $3.2bn in funding to the area of Aged Care including measures to double home care assistance and improve pay and conditions for aged care workers. While the government was playing safe with the package as announced in the Federal Budget, it was better than it would have been if the Australian Government had had adopted the changes proposed by the Productivity Commission recommendations.
More importantly, the Budget unveiled proposals for the development of better hospitals and health care. It proposed $475 million for 76 new health infrastructure projects to upgrade regional hospitals and doctor training support in these areas. While measures to enhance the quality, consistency and access to health care and services in regional areas are welcomed starting points from which to address current health care issues; an ageing population dictates greater consideration of and infrastructure for services promoting healthy ageing and aged care will be required in the future.
We welcome the Government’s planned $515.3 million to improve dental services and strengthen the future dental workforce. This initiative should help make a dent in reducing the waiting list for some 400,000 patients waiting for basic dental care as we see the service develop to see more dental services expanding to the rural and remote areas of the country.
We welcome the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The initiative and injection of $1 billion over four years to roll out the first stage of a NDIS will make inroads to assist those with a significant and permanent disability. The once forgotten and pushed aside are now respectfully going to be taken care of.
Once again the Government flaunted the increases it has made to the Pension with the maximum rate of the pension increasing by $154 per fortnight for singles and $156 per fortnight for couples combined since 2009, but don’t be misled. Other than the further annual increases announced last year to assist with the carbon price (equal to $338 for singles and $255 each for couples), there are no more increases to the pension in sight. Given projections of cost rises equalling $9.90 per week and reimbursements of $10.10 per week, these increases will be quickly eaten away. It seems for now pensioners are required to ‘tough it out’.
Several concerns we hold over the budget. We are worried about……
Single parents’ – The required shift from Parenting Allowance to Newstart for parents when their youngest child turns eight, concerns the APSL. Currently the maximum single parenting payment is $648.50 per fortnight as compared to a Newstart Allowance payment (with dependents) of $529.80 per fortnight. We feel that Newstart payments pose an inadequate income in caring for a child; while low benchmarks for employment income levels reducing Newstart payments are problematic. These aspects raise potential concerns around financial capacity to meet the child and parent’s basic needs. Furthermore, APSL has concerns for the potential of Newstart ‘activity test’ requirements, employment and associated child-minding costs to impact on the family unit’s finances need for charitable services, and child’s safety.
Age pensioners will lose their supplementary payment if they remain overseas for more than six weeks.
The Disability Support Pensioner who has not been accessed as totally incapacitated will lose all of their pension support payment if overseas for six weeks or more.
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Public Forum sends a strong message to Canberra
By natasha | April 5, 2012
The APSL held a very successful Public Forum on Tuesday March 27, concerning the challenging issues relating to the Aged Care System and the Rights of Older People. Guest speakers where Dr Lorraine Venturato from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University and Mark Tucker Evans CEO of COTA QLD and Queensland Delegate to the International Ageing Conference Prague May2012.
When warmly welcoming the forum guests and guest speakers APSL Policy Coordinator Shelly Stone commented about the many challenges that pensioners and seniors will face in 2012 and beyond. Some of the challenges that she referred to include the impact of the Carbon Tax that will commence July 1 the changes to the Public Health System as a result of the National Health Reform System and to the Aged Care System.
When speaking to the forum Dr Lorraine Venturato made some comments about her family’s personal experiences in trying to find suitable Aged Care for her grandmother and how difficult it has been in trying to make the right decisions.
She also advised the forum that she recently returned from a study venture of the Aged Care System in the United States and expressed concern that the some of the Productivity Commission proposals are similar to the system operating in the US. Although our current system of Aged Care is somewhat better than the US, Dr Lorraine cautioned that there were some worrying trends in the Productivity Commission report that mirror what is happing in the US. One potential positive in the report was the proposed Lifetime Stop Lock which would see health payments for residential care stop after a certain point; however, it is not yet clear whether it would be set at stopping after a specified time period (5 years) or monetary amount ($60 000). Furthermore this does not ensure people’s capacity to pay for care.
In this connection she mentioned that overall the proposed changes to the Aged Care System was one of deregulation and opening up the industry to more private providers which would create a culture of users pays and highlighted some of the proposed changes.
The impact of these changes particularly the family home being included as an asset for means testing entry to Aged Care was an expression of great concern by those who attended the forum.
The abandoning of Spot Checks for accreditation of the quality of services provided by Aged Care Providers was consider to be further evidence of going down the path of deregulation.
When speaking to the forum concerning the rights of older people Mark Tucker Evans spoke about the many problems and difficulties that the ageing population are facing due to lack of adequate and essential services particularly in the area of Health, Transport, Housing and the impact that this is having in older people remaining socially connected within the community. For this purpose he highlighted key concerns, such as the entrenchment of ageism and age discrimination in Australian society which impacts on people’s accessing of services.
Mark considered positive strategies were required for the promotion of access and age-friendly environments regarding health, employment and security rights and urban design.
Mark commented that these issues were not confined to Australia but a worldwide trend compounded by the Global Financial Crisis. Because of these developments more than ever there was a need for the UN to adopt a convention on the Rights of Older People.
In expressing strong opposition and concern to the proposed changes to the Aged Care System and in support of the urgent need for the United Nations to adopt a convention on the Rights of Older People the forum unanimously adopted the following resolution:
APSL Public Forum Resolution
Aged Care and The Rights of Older People
This public forum of pensioners and seniors and supporters express our total opposition to any proposal to asset test the value of the family home for the purpose of paying for Aged Care Services. While the Productivity Comission report recommends that the distinction between high and low care be removed it also recommends that all levels of care be subjected to a bond or a daily charge in its place.
The very idea that pensioners should be forced to mortgage or sell their homes for aged care services is a blueprint for deregulation and a user pay philosophy for aged care services.
In addition to freeing up the Aged Care System the Productivity Commission report recommends the abolition of “Spot Checks” for accreditation of Aged Care Providers and the lifting of quotas of Aged Care providers in a given area. By lifting or abolishing quotas of the number of providers in a given area is likely to allow market forces to determine the number of providers in a high socio economic area and ignoring the need to provide adequate services in low socio economic areas.
We conclude that the proposals contained in the Productivity Commission report are designed to liberalise and further deregulate the Aged Care System. The majority of aged care places are owned by profit based providers and the proportion of profit based providers continue to grow causing a greater contradiction between care and profit when they compete inevitably resulting in a lower standard of care and higher cost for the service.
Associated with these changes to the Aged Care System are the Rights of Older People and the adoption of the Productivity Commission recommendations on Aged Care will further undermine the Rights of Older People.
The United Nations recognises June 15 as World Elder Abuse Day however the significance of this day in the interest of Older People is not supported by a UN Convention on the Rights of Older People.
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights states in Article 1 that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Currently the rights of older people are not embedded within any specific international conventions on economic, social civil cultural and political rights. It is important to recognise that all people share basic human rights, and that there are specific cases that are most relevant to older people such as the right social security and care.
In recognition of the above principles we call upon the Federal Government and the Federal opposition to recognise and support the urgent need for the UN to adopt a convention on the Rights of Older People.
Furthermore we express our confidence and support to the International Conference of the Ageing to be held in Prague May 2012 that they will continue their efforts in having the UN adopt a convention on the Rights of Older People.
Written by: Raymond Ferguson and Shelly Stone
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Public Forum: Changes to Aged Care and Rights of Older People
By natasha | February 20, 2012
After the success of previous public forums, the Australian Pensioners’ and Superannuants’ League, Qld Inc. (APSL) will again be looking at a couple of very important issues facing our members and pensioners and seniors in general.
In 2012 pensioners and seniors will be confronted with many new challenges that will impact on their lifestyles. High on the list of these new challenges include the major changes to the aged care system and the rights of older people.
The forum will look at what the changes to Aged Care are likely to be, how much will quality care cost and will the family home have to be sold or mortgaged to cover these costs.
We feature on the topic of Aged Care include; Dr Lorraine Venturato from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University.
On the topic of the Rights of Older People, we look to the questions of whether the law provides enough rights and protection for Older People. Each year many thousands of Older People are confronted with some form of Elder Abuse. The United Nations recognises June 15th as World Awareness Abuse Day, however there is a significant link missing with the day not supported by a UN Convention on the Rights of Older People. A UN Convention on the Rights of Older People is long overdue.
Mark Tucker Evans CEO of COTA Delegate to the International Ageing Conference Prague May 2012, will be our guest speaker on this matter.
The ‘Major Changes to Aged Care and Rights of Older People Public Forum’ will be on:
Date: Tuesday 27th March 2012
Address: Kurilpa Hall, 174 Boundary St, West End 4101
Time: 9.30am Morning Tea, Forum 10am to 12.30pm
For more information about this media release please contact Raymond Ferguson, APSL State Secretary on (07) 3844 5878.
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Elder Abuse Cases on the rise, new publication to help you
By natasha | January 26, 2012
A cause very close to our hearts is the dreadful situation of elder abuse. APSL President, Ian Gordon says that elder abuse is on the increase. “Every week we get calls from older people who are experiencing abuse or know of someone they suspect might be a victim of abuse.”
“Elder abuse is not just verbal threats and physical assault – financial abuse is a growing concern for many older Queenslanders”.
The APSL with the Public Trustee of Queensland have joined forces once again to help the thousands of older Queenslanders who experience abuse each year.
Peter Carne, of the Public Trustee said he was pleased to work with the league to launch the new ‘Let’s Talk About Elder Abuse ’ publication.
The new publication is easy to read, features real life stories and a list of resources where people can seek help and information.
You can access an electronic copy of this brochure via our website, apsl.com.au or venture over to the Public Trustee website, http://www.pt.qld.gov.au/files/elder-abuse-brochure.pdf. To request a copy of the publication you can also call 1300 360 044. Alternatively, the Public Trustee will be making the publication available at all of their offices across the state and will be supplying them to all government and non-government community organisations that support older people.
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Australian Pensioners’ & Superannuants’ League QLD, attracted to a “CAN DO” election pledge
By natasha | January 25, 2012
With the Queensland State Election being held on March 24, one election pledge has caught our eye and will be of great interest to pensioners/seniors, particularly those living in regional and remote areas, recently announced by “Can Do Campbell”.
Announcing this election pledge, as reported in the January 2012 edition of “Seniors” newspaper, Can Do Campbell has promised to increase travel and accommodation subsidy for those patients requiring specialist medical treatment by 100%.
Mr Newham, said the LNP would double the travel subsidy from 15cents to 30cents per kilometre and double the accommodation subsidy from $30 to $60 per person per night.
The issue of travel and accommodation subsidies has been a matter of great concern for the APSL over many years and has consistently been raised at APSL State Conferences. Based on evidence and documents provided by APSL branches throughout regional and remote areas of Queensland, older people have suffered pain and financial strain as a result of the failure of previous State Governments for nearly thirty years to increase the travel and accommodation subsidies.
Last year alone Cancer Council of Queensland, due to bed shortages were forced to turn away 1,136 patients from its five lodges across the state with those patients unable to afford alternative accommodation.
When the election rolls out, the APSL will be keeping a close eye on “Can Do” in relation to this promise and will closely monitor the Bligh Government to at least match or go one better on this election promise.
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What do older people need at times of a disaster?
By natasha | August 31, 2011
The APSL is conducting a research study to find out what older people need at times of disaster. We are after your views so we can make recommendations to the Government to make improvements before, during and after disaster situations.
Please take the time to answer the questions and email your responses to: comet@apsl.com.au or post your answers to Lynn Barratt, Policy Coordinator, APSL, PO Box 5141, West End Qld 4101 by the end of September. Or simply phone Lynn on 3844 5878 and she will call you back to save you the cost of the call.
If you were not affected by the recent disasters we still want to hear our views about what preparation you think is required to meet your needs and the needs of older people. Please answer the first part about preparation.
Thank you for your assistance.
Questions:
Were you affected in any way by the recent disasters? Yes/ No
Where do you live? Postcode?
What is your age range? 60-65, 65-70, 70-75, 75 – 80, 85-90, 0ver 90
Have you received any information to help you prepare for a disaster and if so how and from whom? How helpful was it? What could be done better? Have you done anything to prepare for a disaster in the future and if so please tell us what that is?
During the disaster, did you need help? Who helped you? Were you evacuated? What were the problems? What could have been done better?
After the disaster, what was the experience of getting financial and physical help? Were you insured? Were there any problems with insurers and if so what? What could be improved?
Send your responses to
Email: comet@apsl.com.au
or Post: Lynn Barratt, Policy Coordinator, APSL, PO Box 5141, West End Qld 4101
or Phone: Lynn on 07 3844 5878
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