NINE of Australia's largest aged care facilities have joined forces to establish the Aged Care Guild, a new representative body aimed at encouraging long term policy to ensure the sector's ability to meet future demand.
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The guild's members are Allity, Arcare Aged Care, Blue Cross, Bupa Aged Care, Estia Health, Japara Healthcare, McKenzie Aged Care, Opal Aged Care and Regis Healthcare. Between them, the organisations provide around 34,000 residential aged care beds providing care for around 18% of Australia's elderly residential care population.
"The formation of the Aged Care Guild is recognition of the importance of investment in the aged care sector, to meet both the challenges and opportunities that an aging population presents," said Chief Executive Cameron O'Reilly.
"Political and policy decisions have a huge impact on investment in the sector and a bipartisan consensus on aged care is essential if we are to meet the needs and expectations of older Australians in the future.
"In the short term there needs to be better understanding among policy makers and wider stakeholders about where the sector is currently, in terms of structure and gaps in provision, and where it needs to get to in the future," he said.
Chairman Ross Johnston said the Guild would advocate for the long term sustainability of the industry.
"As older people are able to remain in their own homes for longer and longer, so the age and dependency of people entering residential care increases. We need to be ready to meet the needs of our older generation, and to provide them with the high quality care and support they deserve," he said.
"The aim of the Aged Care Guild is to work with policy makers and investors to ensure this happens, to create an evidence base to inform decision making on residential aged care provision and to provide leadership for the effective development of the industry."
