With close family members living in residential aged care, the Lambeths of Launceston have been closely watching the public debate surrounding the sector.
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They can see both sides - yes, there have been "horrific" examples of neglect, but they say these instances are not an overall reflection of residential aged care, and believe it is still a preferable option to at-home care.
"It's really hard for elderly people who can't stay at home, especially when so many people are saying that you should stay at home as long as possible. There comes a time when that isn't possible," Heather Lambeth said.
"[Our relatives] were two people in their 90s who were getting a lot of in-home help, but I don't think my mother left the house for several years.
"In [an aged care] home, they get a social life. But when you're isolated in your own home you don't that get with people coming in, cooking in a hurry, and then they're onto the next person."
It makes adequate staffing and funding of residential aged care all the more important, but the Lambeths fear that recent coverage could be a deterrent to people entering the workforce.
The funding issue was a key consideration of royal commissioners Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs AO, although they differed slightly in their methods.
Mr Pagone suggested an aged care levy in which every Australian would contribute towards the aged care system according to their income.
Ms Briggs outlined a proposed 1 per cent levy on personal income tax to fund a forecast increase in the cost of the aged care system.
Nick Lambeth said it was clear that "improvements need to be made".
TASMANIAN RESPONSE:
"They won't be made for free. We'll have to pay for it some way," he said.
"You either take it out of health, policing, wherever, and put that into aged care and those areas will then suffer, or you raise extra money. It seems a fairly simple choice."
The Examiner asked passers-by on the Royal Park foreshore whether they would be happy to pay a little extra - under both commissioners' scenarios - and the feedback was unanimous: Australians needed to do their bit to improve the lives of those relying on aged care.
Lucy Chapple, of Prospect, said it should be a priority.
"We have to look after the elderly, it's important to take care of those who are vulnerable," she said.
"Do the Australian thing, it's what we do as Aussies.
"I think it's also a generational thing as well. The young generations seem to accept that taxes will slowly rise over time."
Josh Street agreed, and said Australia had to "take care of people who can't take care of themselves".
Mother-and-daughter Lesley Wise and Shane Bolton were comfortable with the idea.
"It's not that much if everyone did the same, is it," Ms Wise said.
"As long as it went to that cause, and not somewhere else," Ms Bolton added.
"It needs more help, more staff, more funding."
All options on the table after final report
The aged care royal commission final report recommended a suite of reforms that it hoped would result in high quality care for all older Australians.
A community forum in Launceston in October 2019 heard horrific stories of neglect including an aged care resident becoming accustomed to sitting in their own urine, and a 69-year-old man who was admitted on a minor health issue but was instead put on benzodiazepine, tied to a bed and died 14 months later.
Other stories centred on overworked nurses, including one caring for 16 high-needs residents at a time.
In addition to new funding schemes, the royal commission also recommended regulation for an appropriate mix of registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal care workers per resident, a star rating for aged care services and improved access to specialists.
The regulator should also be given more powers, commissioners found.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the government would "carefully consider each recommendation".
"Significant reforms are needed to improve aged care services in both residential care and home care and more information on costings and how the government will fund the sector will be announced in the 2021-22 Budget," he said.
The government provided $452 million to the sector as part of its "immediate response".
MORE ON AGED CARE CONCERNS:
But Lyons Labor MHR Brian Mitchell said the government had acted too slowly, particularly after receiving the interim report in 2019.
"We now face more months of unnecessary delays," he said.
"I'm yet to see the government put forward a concrete proposal.
"It keeps flying kites when we need solid commitment."
Tasmanian Labor senator Helen Polley said both funding options put forward by commissioners were "worth exploration", but she doubted whether the government was committed to significantly increasing funding to the sector.
Bass Liberal MHR Bridget Archer said she was open to considering all options when it came to increased funding.
"Importantly I believe that workforce and skills development will be one of the most critical pieces of work going forward," she said.