Election call for care

THE City of Casey has called on federal political parties to step up and meet what it describes as a shortfall in funding and access to community care services in Victoria.
Casey last week joined the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and councils across the state in highlighting concerns with the current system in the MAV Call to Parties on Community Care.
Casey mayor Colin Butler said the incoming federal government needed to ensure current and future services met the care needs of all people requiring support to live at home.
“Aged care policy and funding improvements are urgently needed to address the massive challenges facing communities as our population ages,” Cr Butler said.
The City of Casey is expected to have the highest increase in Victoria of people aged over 70 between 2001 and 2011.
“The vast majority of ageing residents will never need to enter a residential care facility but many require ongoing or intermittent support with daily living and personal care tasks to live in their own home with dignity, safety and independence,” Cr Butler said.
He said community care provided this vital support and included cleaning services, delivered meals, personal care, property maintenance and respite care.
“For many years the real cost of providing this service has exceeded Commonwealth and State Government funding, which has failed to keep pace with both carer wages and the rapidly growing demand for services as our population ages,” Cr Butler said.
“Carers do a wonderful job but statistics show that demand for the service far outstrips available funded service hours.
“This is an unsustainable situation that will continue to worsen, particularly as more than half of these recipients have no (unpaid) family carer and the 70 plus age group is projected to increase more than 50 per cent by 2021.”
He said council would be writing to local federal MPs and election candidates to seek their support.