Negative aged care media dominates the week who is flaming the chatter?
Every media press, radio, TV and web has been hot on the aged care bandwagon this week. Three topics dominate with two being linked back to sources, but the third the most damaging storyline is being pushed by a mystery source. The first...
Every media press, radio, TV and web has been hot on the aged care bandwagon this week. Three topics dominate with two being linked back to sources, but the third the most damaging storyline is being pushed by a mystery source.
The first story is the rorting of ACFI by some operators in QLD and SA. It has appeared in most state papers especially Fairfax and News with very similar lines. Aged Care Minister Mark Butler queries the unusual (ACFI) claiming patterns in QLD and SA, generating a budget blowout of $444 million this year. Consultants advising operators on fringe ACFI claims are fingered for this blowout.
The second story also gets heavy coverage and was placed by Alzheimers Australia, openly working to safeguard its budget allocation. The result is generally depressing news on care support.
The third theme is general negativity about aged care services and standards, again in all medias. In the Saturday Sydney Morning Herald a full page article reviews the three bad care experiences of an elderly couple. Plenty of bad news but no balancing comment. The journalist would have planned the piece for at least a week. Who seeded the material and timed all the stories across the nation to appear in seven days, just weeks before a budget that may be positive to aged care?
