THE government's $1.8 million adjustment in aged care funding, including $1.2 million in changes set to take effect in July, will directly impact resident care, aged care providers have said as they ramp up strong campaigns against the cuts.
Leading Age Services Australia today launched its Reverse the Cuts - Fund the Care Australian Seniors Need and Deserve campaign.
Aged and Community Services Australia has also launched a campaign with the tagline Old, Frail and Invisible.
LASA chief executive Sean Rooney said since 2014, government decisions had cut $3.1 billion from Australia's aged care system, including $1.7 billion cut from the care of residential aged care residents with complex care needs.
"The cuts target services such as medication assistance, pain relieving treatments and other care interventions for the most frail and unwell older people receiving aged care services," he said.
"The recent cuts also place additional financial pressure on aged care providers in regional and rural Australia who are already struggling financially.
"It will be even tougher for aged care providers in these locations to provide accessible, affordable, good quality care."
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has also called for the decision to be reversed, saying providers have already confirmed in the media they would look to cut staffing to sustain profitable business models.
Their comments came as Scalabrini Village chief executive Chris Rigby said his facility would be unable to afford to employ registered nursing staff at current levels if the cuts went ahead.
"Removing funding is not a responsible way to deal with the issue and provide our elderly with the support they need," NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes said.
"The removal of RNs will result in the complete deregulation of the sector and put an enormous strain on our public hospitals."
Aged care registered nurse and Democratic Labor Party candidate for the seat of Calare Anthony Craig said the major parties were "steadfastly refusing to listen" to concerns about the effects of the cuts.
"We don't know how we are going to absorb the cuts," he said of the facility where he works.
"They are talking about getting rid of registered nurses.
"I understand there are some shonky people in the system and they have been overclaiming, but they are the ones the government should be after."
Aged and Community Services Australia chief executive Adjunct Professor John Kelly said the budget cuts targeted subsidies for medication and pain management.
"This will directly impact the care of residents," he said.
"Continuing cuts to the sector have stretched services to the limit and placed incredible strain on the aged care workforce.
"At a time when we should be building and developing the workforce of the future we are faced with losing skilled nurses and care workers and allied health programs.
"Home care also needs significantly more resourcing from the government, particularly in this period of intense reform and major changes to the way services are delivered to clients."
Professor Kelly said the cuts needed to be stopped and the government needed to realign its values.
