WESTERN Australia's aged care sector has stagnated as service providers struggle to maintain quality services, claiming years of underfunding by the federal government.
WESTERN Australia's aged care sector has stagnated as service providers struggle to maintain quality services, claiming years of underfunding by the federal government.
Updated data for the WA Business News Book of Lists reveal that, of the top 15 aged care providers in the state, only Burswood-based Aegis Aged Care Group has expanded the number of beds since last year.
Aegis, which added 73 beds since 2008, is the only aged-care provider on the list to have grown steadily since 2005, with several of the largest providers reducing their bed numbers.
Claremont-based The Bethanie Group chief executive Wayne Belcher blames the federal government for a lack of funding, saying last month's federal budget again failed to alleviate the financial pressure on the sector.
"It's a missed opportunity that will adversely affect the thousands of elderly Australians currently waiting for a bed in our chronically underfunded state hospitals," Mr Belcher said.
Aged Care Association Australia WA chief executive Anne-Marie Archer said without increased funding and regulatory reform taxpayers would have to pay an extra $5 billion over the next four years as the elderly sought care in the public hospital system.
She said construction in aged care was virtually grinding to a halt in WA.
Ms Archer said only two thirds of the 30,000 beds allocated nationally since 2003 were operational by mid-2008, meaning about 10,000 beds were not in place to accommodate the rising demand for care.
However, while the residential aged-care industry continues to struggle, Gosnells-based Amaroo Care Services is poised to start construction of a multi-million-dollar retirement village in Albany in October.
Amaroo chief executive David Fenwick said plans to build the independent living retirement village followed a recent 36-unit development in Denmark, worth about $1.6 million.
He said Amaroo had recognised the growing demand for affordable housing for retirees over 55 years.
"But no-one's going forward and building them," he said.
The average unit at Demark Village costs about $330,000, while indicative prices for the retirement home in Albany sit between $330,000 and $360,000.
Amaroo, which provides both residential aged care and independent living services, has not grown since 2005, offering a steady total of 173 high- and low-care beds.
