❓ The question asks how new initiatives in aged care are creating hospital discharge pathways and increasing bed capacity, and how investment builds on collaboration with aged care providers and the Commonwealth. The Minister highlights WA's top ranking for seniors' concessions, details state-led initiatives like 'Time to Think' and expanded Hospital in the Home, and criticises the opposition's unclear proposals for a hospital site.
AnsweredQoN 318Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Aged-care pathways—Investment
318. Mrs Michelle Maynard to the Minister for Aged
Care and Seniors:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's delivery of new initiatives to support older Western
Australians receiving health treatment. Can the minister outline to the house
how these new initiatives are creating new hospital discharge pathways to
provide increased hospital bed capacity; and can the minister please advise the
house how this investment builds on this government's collaboration with aged
care providers and the Commonwealth to tailor support for older Western
Australians?
318. Mrs Michelle Maynard to the Minister for Aged
Care and Seniors:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's delivery of new initiatives to support older Western
Australians receiving health treatment. Can the minister outline to the house
how these new initiatives are creating new hospital discharge pathways to
provide increased hospital bed capacity; and can the minister please advise the
house how this investment builds on this government's collaboration with aged
care providers and the Commonwealth to tailor support for older Western
Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very pleased to
answer this question because, as a government, we are delivering for older Western
Australians. Before I answer the question, can I just say that I was very
pleased to read in The Australian newspaper
last week that Western Australia was ranked number one for seniors' concessions
in an analysis by Later Life Advice—number one in the country. I am very proud
of that.
The reality is that,
as of today, 349 older Western Australians are in hospital, waiting for
Commonwealth-funded aged-care services. They are ready to be discharged, but they
are not able to receive aged-care services. We have discussed this publicly a
number of times. We know that in Western Australia we will need between 1,600
and 2,700 more aged-care beds in the next four years, but we are not simply
waiting for the federal government to meet its responsibilities; we are getting
on with a job of delivering for older Western Australians.
As a government, we
are actually delivering nation-leading reforms to support our older Western
Australians through our investment in our Time to Think program, our WA-first
low interest loan scheme and our record investment in transitional care. We are
also rolling out 24/7 monitoring technology to support older Western
Australians remaining safely at home following a hospital stay, and we have
expanded Hospital in the Home into residential aged-care facilities. I am
really proud of all of those initiatives.
I was also pleased
to hear that the opposition has finally taken notice of aged care in Western
Australia. For a moment, I thought it might have a plan, until I read its
announcement. The title of its media release is "Opposition calls for KEMH
future planning to begin now". The opposition says that it wants
transitional aged care for that site. When it says that it wants transitional
aged care, does it mean imitating our Cook Labor government's nation-leading
Time to Think program or does it mean more transitional care places, which are
allocated and funded by the federal government? It is not clear. The Leader of
the Opposition said that the site should also be assessed for its potential to
support education facilities and appropriate medium-density housing. Which is
it? Then we heard from the member for Nedlands, who said that future planning
should also consider early childhood and general and educational support for
children with special needs. It is a bit confusing. What exactly is the plan? I
am a bit confused, and it seems to me that the other side is too. Is it aged
care? Is it early childhood education? Is it housing? Is it to support children
with special needs?
I am proud to be
part of a government that does the work, assesses the options and makes
decisions based on evidence, not headlines.
answer this question because, as a government, we are delivering for older Western
Australians. Before I answer the question, can I just say that I was very
pleased to read in The Australian newspaper
last week that Western Australia was ranked number one for seniors' concessions
in an analysis by Later Life Advice—number one in the country. I am very proud
of that.
The reality is that,
as of today, 349 older Western Australians are in hospital, waiting for
Commonwealth-funded aged-care services. They are ready to be discharged, but they
are not able to receive aged-care services. We have discussed this publicly a
number of times. We know that in Western Australia we will need between 1,600
and 2,700 more aged-care beds in the next four years, but we are not simply
waiting for the federal government to meet its responsibilities; we are getting
on with a job of delivering for older Western Australians.
As a government, we
are actually delivering nation-leading reforms to support our older Western
Australians through our investment in our Time to Think program, our WA-first
low interest loan scheme and our record investment in transitional care. We are
also rolling out 24/7 monitoring technology to support older Western
Australians remaining safely at home following a hospital stay, and we have
expanded Hospital in the Home into residential aged-care facilities. I am
really proud of all of those initiatives.
I was also pleased
to hear that the opposition has finally taken notice of aged care in Western
Australia. For a moment, I thought it might have a plan, until I read its
announcement. The title of its media release is "Opposition calls for KEMH
future planning to begin now". The opposition says that it wants
transitional aged care for that site. When it says that it wants transitional
aged care, does it mean imitating our Cook Labor government's nation-leading
Time to Think program or does it mean more transitional care places, which are
allocated and funded by the federal government? It is not clear. The Leader of
the Opposition said that the site should also be assessed for its potential to
support education facilities and appropriate medium-density housing. Which is
it? Then we heard from the member for Nedlands, who said that future planning
should also consider early childhood and general and educational support for
children with special needs. It is a bit confusing. What exactly is the plan? I
am a bit confused, and it seems to me that the other side is too. Is it aged
care? Is it early childhood education? Is it housing? Is it to support children
with special needs?
I am proud to be
part of a government that does the work, assesses the options and makes
decisions based on evidence, not headlines.
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