Older Australians will benefit from two Coalition policy announcements today supporting dementia research and indexing the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, according to Australia’s leading seniors advocate COTA Australia.
COTA Chief Executive Ian Yates said he applauded the Coalition’s commitment to $40 million extra per year over five years to expand dementia research which COTA had sought in its election platform.
He said dementia research was critical to stemming the growing numbers of older Australians living with
dementia.
“Dementia is the third highest cause of death in Australia and there is currently no cure,” Mr Yates said.
“There are more than 320,000 Australians living with dementia now and that is expected to rise to over 500,000 within 20 years.
“There are small breakthroughs being made in dementia research every day and this $200 million injection will help scientists expand their important work and hopefully find a cure in our lifetime.
“COTA Australia, along with other key advocates such as Alzheimer’s Australia, urge Labor and all other political parties to follow the Coalition lead and likewise commit to critical funding for dementia research.”
Mr Yates said he’d like to see all parties also commit to other policies set out by Alzheimers Australia that will help people living with dementia now, and their families, such as:
increasing choice and flexibility in home care;
expanding dementia-specific respite;
improving the quality of residential care;
introducing a national dementia key worker program.
Mr Yates said thousands of seniors would be relieved to know that under a Coalition Government income limits for eligibility for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card will be indexed.
“This will benefit an estimated 20,000 people by 2016/17 who will become or remain eligible for PBS
prescriptions and the Seniors Supplement of $852.80 per year for singles and $1,284.40 for couples to help with increased living costs.
However Mr Yates said many self-funded retirees continued to express concern to COTA about the Coalition policy to part-fund the Paid Parental Leave Scheme through loss of franking credits on the 1.5% tax levy.
“Seniors are calling on the Coalition to urgently review the funding of the PPL policy as it is likely to cost an average self funded retiree over $1,000 every year. That makes it harder to ensure their retirement funds last.”
Media contact: Ian Yates 0418 835 439, Olivia Greentree 0439 411 774.