CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr THOMPSON (Herbert) (10:07): I rise today to speak about an issue that goes to the heart of who we are as a nation—how we care for older Australians and whether the system is designed to support them and whether it's doing its job. Right now, too many vulnerable elderly Australians are being left to navigate a system that is complex, confusing and, in many cases, failing them.
Older Australians built this nation, and they deserve to have the care and dignity that was promised to them. My Aged Care is meant to be a safety net, a gateway to essential services that allow older Australians to live with dignity in their own homes, but, what we're seeing on the ground tells a very different story. We've seen families overwhelmed by red tape, we've seen elderly Australians waiting months—sometimes longer—for care they're already been assessed as needing, and we've seen decisions being made by process, not by people.
I recently asked the shadow minister for aged care, Senator Anne Ruston, to come to Townsville because we needed to advocate together for a Townsville man called Merv. Merv's case highlights just how serious the failures are. Here is a man assessed as needing a high level of care.
Support included help with daily tasks like showering, personal hygiene, mobility and the clinical care required as a safety net to safely remain in the home. Merv's family, when he was assessed at a higher level, were given a lower level package. They were finding it hard to get the support to help Merv with showering.
They were talking about what days Merv could have a shower. That's just un-Australian. That is a basic human right.
When the family had to step in and help him with the daily living activities, they contacted my office and told me about the extreme emotional burden that they were carrying. This shouldn't have happened. It's not about luxuries; it was about where Merv was assessed.
It should never take political intervention to secure the care for someone that has already been assessed as needed. And, as for Merv, whose case is now resolved thanks to the advocacy of Senator Anne Ruston and me, it shouldn't have to happen like that. People are struggling.
Older Australians need the support and shouldn't be falling through the cracks. What happens if the family don't or don't know how to reach out to their federal representative? We shouldn't have to see a system failing these people.
People are assessed at a higher level; they deserve the supports they need. Older Australians deserve the dignity that they always should have.