STATE Labor has slammed the Napthine government’s “measured reallocation” of government-managed aged care services as a “sell-off” of its duty of care to communities.
Opposition leader Daniel Andrews last week visited Jacana’s McLellan House Hostel, near Northern Health’s Broadmeadows base, and called on Premier Denis Napthine to be upfront about the government’s aged care privatisation program.
“The residents at McLellan House Hostel and their families have been left in the dark by Mr Napthine, who hasn’t been upfront with them about whether their beds will be sold off,” Mr Andrews said.
He said tender documents to begin the statewide sell-off had been listed on the government’s website and already several facilities across Victoria had been closed or sold.
“Under the Coalition, the public residential aged care sector has shrunk by 284 beds – despite Victoria’s ageing population.”
Mr Andrews said the Premier should guarantee there would be affordable places in private aged care centres in Jacana now and into the future. “What is driving the decision to sell off aged care facilities is the desire to reduce staff costs,” Mr Andrews said.
But a government spokeswoman said the quality of aged care would “not suffer under the measured reallocation of government-managed aged care services to non-government services as all facilities are subject to the same national accreditation and quality of standards”.
“The government is willing to work with the private and not-for-profit sectors in developing better clinical outcomes involving the transfer of management of aged care services,” she said.
Broadmeadows MP Frank McGuire invited Mr Andrews and shadow minister for seniors and ageing Jenny Mikakos to McLellan House Hostel. He said he would organise a petition to persuade the government not to sell off the hostel.
“We simply can’t allow Mr Napthine to sell off the care of our seniors to the highest bidder,” he said.
