Aged Care Roundtable Held in Canberra

The Federal Government has held an Aged Care Workforce Pre-Jobs Summit Roundtable with more than 20 stakeholders in Parliament House. The aim of the Roundtable was to better understand the practical solutions needed in the aged care sector.

The Roundtable was attended by universities, unions, advisory councils, providers, community services, and advocate groups. Amongst the attendees were:

• Kasia Bail, Associate Professor, Discipline of Nursing Faculty of Health University of Canberra
• Jody Currie, Board Director, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council
• Wendy Hubbard, General Manager, Australian Regional and Remote Community Services
• Ian Yates, Chief Executive, Councils on the Ageing Australia.

Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, led the Roundtable, with Morris Iemma facilitating.

Major topics discussed in the three-hour session included how to boost job security, making aged care an attractive place to work, access to education and training, the role of migration in aged care and creating innovation in the industry.

Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells said the event advanced discussions on critical topics that will lead Labor’s reform measures in aged care. “Aged Care reform needs to be done once and done well and that’s why consultations like today’s Aged Care Workforce Pre-Jobs Summit Roundtable are crucial,” Minister Wells said.

“It was great to see such healthy dialogue among a wide array of stakeholders.

“We must work together to improve the lives of aged care workers and care recipients who have been neglected after successive liberal governments ignored their plight.

“We need ambition for aged care. We need to be innovative and have thought leadership.”

Information from the Roundtable will contribute to the Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit and the Employment White Paper.

• Topics:

• Seniors
• Health & Wellbeing
• Employment & Training