Aged & Community Services National Conference

Monday 14 September 2009

by His Excellency Dr Ken Michael, AC
Governor of Western Australia



I would like to firstly acknowledge the traditional Nyoongar custodians of the land where this conference is being held.

It is my great pleasure to be here this morning to officially open the Aged and Community Services National Conference.

This is an important annual forum for Aged and Community Services Australia and I am told that this conference has attracted more than 1000 aged and community care leaders and decision makers from across Australia.

So, welcome to those of you who have travelled from other parts of Australia to Perth. A warm welcome, as well, to our international guests who are here to take part in this conference.

I trust that you will all enjoy your time here with us and that you have the opportunity to see something of our City and its environs and, indeed, something of our wonderful State.
 
I must say from the outset that I was extremely interested to learn that Aged and Community Services Australia, as the national peak organisation for aged and community services, represents such a wide range of church, charitable and community-based organisations. In fact, I am told, there are around 1000 organisations providing accommodation and care services to more than 700,000 older people, people with a disability and their carers. When you think of those numbers, it becomes quite evident what a substantial and important role ACSA plays in our aged care nationally.

To put this in perspective, it is interesting to look back to see the growth and development of Australian population and the number of aged persons in that equation. For instance, back in 1901, there were almost 151,000 people aged 65 years and over in Australia, or just 4 per cent of our national population. By 1999, this proportion had increased to 12.2 per cent and by 2006 there were 2.7 million Australians aged 65 years and over – or more than 13.3 per cent of the population.
 
Looking towards the future, estimates are that by 2036, something like 6.3 million Australians will be aged 65 years or over, representing 24 per cent of the nation’s projected population.

We can see how important the work of Aged and Community Services Australia is when we also look at the figures for the number of carers. For instance, in 2007, there were five people of working age to support every person aged 65 and over. However, I am told that, by 2047, it is predicted there will be only be 2.4 people of working age to support each person aged 65 and over.

We can see from these figures that aged care – its delivery and its quality – is an enormous issue for us nationally; one that deserves our full attention and input if we are going to ensure the best possible care for the elderly in the future.
 
In this respect, ACSA – being the only aged care peak body that broadly represents the community care sector – has a huge task and responsibility, especially, as I understand, that community care is the clear preference of most consumers and the Australian public generally. It is growing and expanding and will be a major force into the future.

This conference, then, with its theme of “Get Up, Stand Up” focuses on urging the industry to make its voice heard on behalf of older Australians who need our best care and support –“it is about aged care pride”, as the Conference program notes

An impressive array of local and international speakers has been engaged to inspire and rally delegates in seeking reforms and improvements in aged care. I am certain that delegates will be stimulated and inspired by what they have to say.
 
I know that they will be encouraged to participate in plenary sessions and workshops addressing many of the issues confronting the sector. This is one of the great benefits of coming together like this in a conference forum –to share and exchange views and experiences, and to devise strategies and plans for the future.

I was interested to learn also of a unique feature of this year’s conference – the introduction of a “Speakers Corner”. I am told that delegates will have the opportunity to air their views during breaks in the conference and I am sure this will be a very effective way of exchanging ideas. The corner will move to different locations around the conference venue.

We can see just how important aged care is to our nation's welfare when we consider that the aged care industry is worth $7 billion and is the ninth largest employer in Australia, caring for more than a million people every year.
 
We can also see this in a range of figures – and I would just like to share a few of these figures with you that clearly demonstrate the broad requirements of this area of service delivery. For instance:

  • In 2006-07, more than a quarter of a million (250,793) Home and Community Care program clients aged 65 years and over each received an average of 31 hours of domestic assistance per year;

  • At the same time, around 80,000 very frail Home and Community Care clients aged 65 and over each received an average of around 54 hours of personal care per year;

  • An estimated 2.6 million Australians provide some unpaid assistance to others who need help because of disability or age – of these it is estimated 500,000 are primary carers;
     
  • Approximately 262,500 paid workers provide residential and community aged care services to more than a million older people, younger people with disabilities and their carers each year; and

  • In 2008, some 40,000 (40,280) Community Aged Care Packages were provided to assist people who require low level care at home.

These are quite staggering figures, and that is just to note a few that caught my eye.

With our population living longer, there are increased community expectations and demands for a wider range of quality services. In this regard, I understand that the aged and community care sector is facing greater challenges than ever before. One of these is that the nature of the support required by older people and their families is changing. Most older people choose to remain in their own homes, requiring more flexible and individually-tailored services to assist them to do this
 
I am aware that in terms of industry reforms to help meet these challenges, the Federal Government is currently reviewing the accreditation system for aged care facilities and seeking public comment on the complaints system.

As well, the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission Report has called for a dramatic overhaul of the aged care system as part of proposals to reshape Australia’s health care system. The extensive recommendations follow those from a range of other bodies including the Productivity Commission and a Senate inquiry, all of which have called for reform in the funding, delivery and provision of aged care.

I understand that the aged care industry sees this as a significant opportunity to address the challenges it faces.
 
This Conference, then, has a very large and broad agenda; one that is vital to the future of our nation's aged care and community service provision. I wish you well in your deliberations knowing that your input and commitment to new ideas and initiatives are fundamental to change and improvements in addressing this critical area of service delivery and care for our elderly and those with a disability.

On that note, I am very pleased to now officially open the 2009 Aged and Community Services National Conference – “Get Up, Stand Up” – here in Perth and wish you a rewarding and enjoyable time together.