SPEECH BY THlE PRIME MINISTER
-AT THE LAUNCH OF BOOKLET-! HOMEf SAFETY-FOR SENIOR CITIZENS'
HSBOOKLE. T, aHE AFTPOSNRCtI~ Z~ tS, 4-
VALUABLE PUBLICATION AND IWANT FIRST OF ALL TO PRAISE GEORGE'
GEMR, THE ARTICULATE AND DOGGED MEMBER FOR CANNING, FOR
PUTTING IT TOGETHER.
IT WAS WHILE HE WAS VISITING THE UNITED STATES THAT GEORGE
CAME ACROSS THE IDEA OF A BOOKLET TO HELP ELDERLY -PEOPLE LIVE
SAFELY AT HOME.
HE ADAPTED IT To AuSTRALIAN CONDITIONS AND HAS ENSURED THAT
IT IS DISTRIBUTED TO THE ELDERLY AUSTRALIANS FOR WHOM IT is
INTENDED$
WHEN I SAY THIS BOOKLET WILL BE USE. FUL, I AM NOT IJUST
INVENTING THAT CLAIM. WE SM IT WILL BE USEFUL& BECAUSE OP
THE RESULTS OP A SURVEY Of ELDERLY PEOPLE CONDUCTED BY THE
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL ON THE AsaING.
ACCORDING TrO THIS SURVEY, FEWER THAN THREE OUT OF TEN AMONG
THOSE ON NURSING HOME WAITING LISTS ACTUALLY WATEI. TO ENTER
* A NURSING HOME.
MORE THAN HALF STATED THAT THEY WOULD RATHER NOT MOVE AT ALL
-IT SEEMS THAT FOR OLD PEOPLE, BEING ON A WAITING LIST IS A
KIND OF INSURANCE POLICY FOR FUTURE CARE.
WH4EN -ASKED W THEY HAD) -PUT THEIR NAMES DOWN FOR A NURS ING
HOM. j LESS THAN ONE IN TEN SAID THEIR REASON HAD ANYTHING TO
DO WITH HEALTH. MOST WANTED TO AVOID LI VING ALONE, SAYING
THEY FELT UNABLE TO COPE WITH RUNNING A HOUSE, ORt FEARID
LONELINESSp OR WERE RELUCTANT ' TO IMPOSE ON THEIR FAMILIES.
THIS BOOKLET WILL HELP ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE PERCEIVED
BARRIERS TO STAYING AT HOME AND WILL HELP REDUCE THE
PRESSURES ON PEOPLE WHO FEEL THEY MUST MAKE THE MOVE INTO AN
INSTITUTION. IT IS A PRACTICAL AND COMMONSENSE GUIDE TO LIVING SAFELY IN
THE HOME.
As SUCH IT FITS IN PERFECTLY WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S VERY
S INF-ICANT -RE-THINK-OF--P-OLICIES-. DIRECIED AT AGED CARE.
S UNDER PAST GOVERNMENTS-THESE-POLI-C I ES-HAVE-BEEN-SOMEWHAT--
IMBALANCED AND-TENDED--TO . BE-TARGETTED _ AWAY_ FROM THE MAJORITY OF
ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO STILL LIVE AT HOME,
ONLY A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE ABOUT SEVEN PER CENT OF
ELDERLY AUSTRALIANS LIVE IN INSTITUTIONAL CARE. THE OTHER
NINETY THREE PER CENT LIVE IN HOUSES, UNITS OR FLATS, WITH
NEARLY A QUARTER OF THEM LIVING BY THEMSELVES.
BIIT nOVERNMENT SPENDING ON NURSING HOMES-IS APPROACHING $ 1000
MILLION, WHILE SPENDING ON humu ANu COMMUN1IT CARE SERVIOCC,
TO HELP MAINTAIN PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN HOMES, IS ONLY $ 100
MILLION ABOUT ONE-TENTH OF THE BUDGET FOR NURSING HOMES.
THE GOVERNMENT'S CENTRAL OBJECTIVE, THEREFORE, IS TO BEGIN
THE PROCESS OF RELATIVELY REDISTRIBUTING RESOURCES FOR CARE OF AGED
PEOPLE AWAY FROM NURSING HOMES TO ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF
RESIDENTIAL CARE AND COMMUNITY CARE. THIS WILL INVOLVE A
SIGNIFICANT BOOST TO THE HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM
WHICH WE ESTABLISHED IN 1985.
THIS WILL INCREASE THE RANGE OF AGED CARE SERVICES AND MEAN
BETTER QUALITY CARE FOR OUR ELDERLY CITIZENS, ./ 3
y.
A As EVIDENCE OF OUR COMMITMENT, THIS STRATEGY WILL THIS YEAR
INVOLVE THE COMMONWEALTH IN SPENDING AN ADDITIONAL $ 32
MILLION ON HOME CARE SERVICES AND AN ADDITIONAL $ 24 MILLION
ON PROMOTING THE HOSTEL SECTOR AND IN INCREASING ACCESS TO
RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR DISADVANTAGED GROUPS.
THESE EXTRA COSTS WILL BE INCREASINGLY OFFSET BY THE LOWER
COSTS OF REDUCED GROWTH IN NURSING HOME BEDS.
I-SHOULD-EMPHASISETHAT CHANGES __ TO RESIDENTIAL CARE PROGRAMS
WILL NOT AFFECT PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY RESIDENTS IN A NURSING
HOME OR HOSTEL. -THERE-WILL BE NO REDUCTION IN THE NUMBERS OF
NURSING HOMES AND-HOSTELS IN ANY STATE AND THEREFORE THERE IS
NO REASON WHY ANY RESIDENTS OR THEIR FAMILIES SHOULD FEEL
INSECURE ABOUT ANY ARRANGEMENTS THEY HAVE ALREADY MADE.
ALL THIS MEANS THAT WE AS. A GOVERNMENT ARE DISPLAYING
OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURE THAT AUSTRALIA'S ELDERLY CITIZENS
ARE WELL CARED FOR.
THE WISHES OF ELDERLY PEOPLE THEMSELVES TO BE SUPPORTED IN
THEIR OWN HOMES ARE AT LAST BEING ADDRESSED.
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE GOING THROUGH TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES, WHICH
HAVE FORCED THE GOVERNMENT TO SPEND LESS THAN WE WOULD HAVE
LIKED ON MANY PROJECTS, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT COMMONWEALTH
SPENDING IS ADEQUATELY'AND EFFICIENTLY DIRECTED TO THOSE IN
REAL NEED.
THE BOOKLET IS A CREDIT TO GEORGE GEAR AND I HOPE IT WILL BE
WIDELY READ AND USED BY ELDERLY PEOPLE., AND THEIR RELATIVES
AND FRIENDS. FOR IT CONTAINS WITHIN ITS PAGES SOME PRACTICAL
STEPS TOWARDS ENSURING A LONGER AND HAPPIER LIFE AT HOME.