Letter to the Editor in response to 'Aged care goes from bad to worse' - The Age, 30 November 2009

It's a dramatic proposition that aged care in Victoria has gone "...from bad to worse" (Age, 30 November 2009), but there's no argument that our industry must change.

Older Australians deserve and have earned better than what we as an industry are able to deliver them in residential aged care.

Those working in aged care provide vital care and support for some of the most vulnerable people in our community and - yes - the importance of their work is often not reflected by their income.

But beyond that, as a community we must reflect on how we ensure quality of life for our frail aged, and urgently develop new models of care that are responsive, respectful and capable of meeting the unprecedented demographic shift ahead in the next few decades.

We need radical thinking in aged care, with new thought and new voices, backed by sound evidence-based practice, before we agree to just continuing on with what we do, supported by minor tinkering.

John Ballard
Chief Executive Officer
Mercy Health