CHA SECURES SUPPORT FOR BETTER AGED CARE IN KEY ELECTORATES, VOWS TO SUSTAIN PRESSURE

Catholic Health Australia (CHA) has been buoyed by political support for its ‘Fight For Better Aged Care’ campaign and is vowing to keep pressure up on whichever party wins government at the weekend.
Aged care homes in the CHA network deliver 25,000 aged care beds and look after 60,000 residents. The CHA campaign, Fight for Better Aged Care, has been targeting key marginal electorates — Boothby, Hasluck, Swan, and Dobell — to call on candidates to commit publicly to working to improve remuneration and training in the aged care sector.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, Opposition Aged Care Spokesperson Claire O’Neill, Bishop of Parramatta Vincent Long, Uniting’s Tracey Burton, and Opal’s Rachel Argaman are among those who have publicly thrown their support behind the campaign.
CHA CEO Pat Garcia said campaign statistics indicated that some 175,000 across the four key electorates had seen the campaign’s ad at least four times.
“Australians have always known aged care was important, but thanks to advocacy efforts it has now climbed up the ranks to become an issue of genuine political impact,” Mr Garcia said.
“The Fight for Better Aged Campaign has helped put and keep aged care on the election map over recent weeks, but we have no intention of letting up after Saturday.
“We will be making sure that whoever wins government understand that we need better pay to drive recruitment and retention, and better training to improve care for residents. Staff at our aged care homes are working hard and doing the absolute best they can but they need support from their political leaders.”
Mr Garcia also urged members of the community to personally get behind the Fight for Better Aged Care campaign.

“We need the support of everyone living in the region. Those of you with parents in homes who see the conditions too many people live in, carers who are desperately waiting for support, and all of us who will one day need care and to be treated with dignity,” Mr Garcia said.
“Older Australians built this country. They gave us the prosperity and fairness that makes Australia such an excellent place to live. We owe it to them to properly fund aged care, so they can enjoy dignity and comfort in retirement.”