The Forum > Article Comments > Aged care crisis - Australia's greatest shame > Comments
Aged care crisis - Australia's greatest shame : Comments
By Tristan Ewins, published 17/7/2013We need a comprehensive National Aged Care Insurance Scheme along similar lines to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
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Hasbeen: We have one of the smallest public sectors in the world, and small, very highly targeted social wage. We're WAY SHORT of Canada - let alone most of Europe. We CAN afford to do better. Even ONE PERCENT of GDP would make a massive difference. It is a matter of priorities. And if you watched the Lateline programs you may decide it makes more sense to tax the wealthy a bit more to prevent the horrific suffering that many of our loved one have/will go through. (not to mention the prospect of enduring such suffering ourselves) I've explained how it can be funded too - through reform of superannuation concessions, dividend imputation and/or reform of the Medicare Levy.
Divergence - you're right many people will die before needed high intensity care - but the numbers in care is currently over 200,000. And with the ageing population that's only going to grow. (exponentially) BTW The average stay in a nursing home is about 2 years. But for some it will be significantly more. And for many this will be two years of Hell. Compulsory Aged Care Insurance seems the answer - just like with the NDIS. Though I think paying for it through superannuation money would be regressive compared with more progressive funding mechanisms as I suggest. As Andrew Leigh has been arguing recently inequality is already way out of control in this country....