Anglicare Australia believes that everybody has the right to dignity and quality of life as they age. We must all commit to a continuum of care, where everybody can get the support they need in a way that suits them. We also believe that old age itself is not a disability or medical condition. If we want to be a community that truly values its elders, then we must focus on promoting wellbeing and ensuring that we all enjoy a rich and full life as we age.
Anglicare Australia is committed to creating a fairer and more just society. This position statements describe our positions on the issues related to Ageing Well.
Publications
Submission to the Pricing Framework for Residential Aged Care Services 2024-25
Fair and sustainable pricing is one of the enablers of a system that can deliver high quality of care. In our submission to the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority’s (IHACPA) Consultation Paper on the Pricing Framework for Australian Residential Aged Care Services 2024-25 we recognise that getting the classification and assessment processes right is so important to making sure people receive the level and mix of high-quality care they need, in a timely way, and that no-one is being excluded from the system. We draw IHACPA’s attention to areas where further work and consideration is needed, including around allied health and lifestyle and pastoral care; respite and palliative care; the development of the indexation formula and adjustments for regional service delivery.
Submission to the Aged Care Financial Sustainability Taskforce
In this submission we recommend the Taskforce consider building a sustainable and fair funding base for aged care, including by changes to the overly generous tax treatment of superannuation, and to how housing wealth is assessed in means testing of aged care services. The funding system should be simpler and easier to understand, for older Australians and the community in general, and it should operate in a way that enables and encourages providers to invest in high quality and innovative models of service delivery.
Submission on Legislating the Objective of Super
Anglicare Australia supports the proposed objective of superannuation in the consultation paper. The proposed definition recognises that superannuation is about providing income for a dignified retirement, not about wealth generation, or accumulation of a nest egg to pass on after death. The inclusion of the concepts of equity and sustainability are in line with Anglicare Australia’s values and advocacy. But there is work to be done to ensure the superannuation system meets this worthy objective, including reforming superannuation taxation concessions and supporting people who do not own their home in retirement.