Few people really give a damn about Aged Care issues - from a political point of view in this election it is a second order issue.
People come out of the woodwork when an agency stuffs up - but from a cultural stand point in the Australian context those who reside in Nursing Homes are out of sight and out of most peoples minds. We seem to like it that way.

Gerard has point - while some agencies make money many do not many of those that do dont make enough to renew building stock let alone meet new demand.

Let me add.

1. Contruction costs for nursing home beds are rapacious - at its very essence we are talking a motel - with a few bells and whistles - the quality of the experience resides in the staff culture not the architecture - find for me the 150K worth of value in a room with an ensuite - even with the extra ammenity required to deliver care!

2. Many new homes are monuments to the Boards of Directorsd and architectural flight of fancy.

3. Costello has scared the bejesus out of his colleagues and the community by misrepresenting the data from Intergenerational Report - leaading us to believe we simply cant afford to properly fund Aged Care without the punter coughing up more and more dough - as if they havent contributed enough over their life already.

4. Australia is ageing - but remains young when compared to the population of Japan, Ireland, Italy etc - they dont seem to have sunk below the waves under the weight of a bunch of oldies and zimmer frames.

5. Successive government have fostered a fear of spending - apart from on jet skies and plasma screen TV's amogst the masses - so when some one suggests the government actually deliver in areas such as Aged Care - they fall back on the users pays principal.

Instead of pissing money away in the deserts of Iraq - maybe we could divert that to our old folk -

Johnj,

The two most recent, reputable independent surveys of the residential aged care industry’s viability show that the majority of providers don't have a bottom line that’s in the black.

Aged care providers want a funding stream which will allow them to construct the thousands of new beds required into the future, provide a decent standard of care, pay staff competitive salaries and make a reasonable return on investment.

The current funding system doesn't allow that.

It's either a matter of the wealth older people have accumulated during their lifetime being used for their benefit [with the majority passed back to the family when they decease] or the taxpayer continuing to be squeezed to pay for those who can afford to do so themselves.

Sneekeepete,

If it were only an en suite and bedroom, I agree $150K would be way over the top!

There are of course common areas, commercial size kitchens, laundries, medical facilities, car parks, recreational areas, nurses station, staff rooms etc.

It all adds up.

In addition, the building certification standards for aged care facilities imposed by the federal government are far tougher than those for any other health facility in Australia and they are very expensive to comply with.

Couldn't agree more that aged care doesn't attract the attention it should in the media and the community but that may well change given the desperate circumstances many aged care providers find themselves in.

Remember, providers collectively have access to 150 000 residents with at least as many staff and relatives who visit regularly.

The time may well come when they eschew their traditional apolitical stance and start to speak out on behalf of those who deserve better.

Xerxes - Sneekeepete is director of an aged care facility so if he says an aged care room is basically a motel room, then that's what it is.

I am inclined to believe that aged care is a gilt edged gold mine with income stream guaranteed by the government and no controls over staffing levels or quotas on staff skills

Billie,

Sneekeepete’s absolute authority on this issue is unclear.

I've worked for a major aged care provider organization for over 10 years including responsibility for construction of dozens of facilities. Sneekeepete and I will have to agree to disagree.

You can "incline" to believe whatever you want - I'm inclined to let rational factual analysis and independent statistics rule over soft prejudice.