The not-a-retirement-income review
Published 24 October 2019
The Australian Government has fearlessly announced an independent review of retirement income policy settings, but has at the same time re-assured those affected that absolutely no changes will occur as a result of this review.
Minister: people on the dole are druggies and alkies
Published 24 October 2019
A Social Services Minister not suggesting, but actually saying that people on Newstart waste their money on illegal drugs and alcohol? Yep, this is Australia, which is about to introduce drug and alcohol testing for the unfortunate people who rely on Newstart for survival. [more]
Rent assistance must be increased: Productivity Commission
Published 24 October 2019
If even the Productivity Commission is saying that Commonwealth Rent Assistance should be increased, then things are dire!
NSW Pensioner council rebate is here to stay – for now
Published 24 October 2019
The NSW Government portrays itself as a staunch defender of the Pensioner Council Rate Rebate, which hasn't been indexed for close to a quarter of a century.
Default electricity contracts provide savings
Published 24 October 2019
Action on default electricity contracts may be tinkering at the edges at a time when energy prices are sky high, but consumers can save.
Despite changes funeral insurance still a rip off
Published 24 October 2019
There are two types of funeral insurance: funeral life insurance policies and funeral expenses policies. Both are bad ideas and should be avoided.
GPs shake their heads and develop their own nursing home standards
Published 26 September 2019
The Government’s new-broom aged care standards are so good, wonderful, brilliant and comprehensive, GPs have decided to develop their own standards.
GPs and pharmacists fight it out
Published 26 September 2019
DOCTORS wanting to be pharmacists and pharmacists wanting to be doctors, that’s the turf war currently exercising minds at the Pharmacy Guild and the Australian Medical Association (AMA).
Say ‘No’ to the mindless welfare card
Published 26 September 2019
A cashless welfare card and drug testing for recipients costing more than the very modest increase Newstart campaigners are asking for: sanity’s gone missing.
$800 pensioner bonus? Deeming changes from 20 September
Published 26 September 2019
The $800 pensioner bonus that never was! Changes to the deeming rates have been getting pensioners’ hopes up, but only 119 households actually received it.
More niggly savings at the expense of older Australians
Published 26 September 2019
Value-added taxes and sales taxes like the GST are pretty common overseas, but pensioners will have to do without their GST pension supplement if they go overseas for longer than six weeks. And there’s more …
Parramatta nursing home does some backsliding
Published 26 September 2019
Pick up a dis-accredited nursing home up for a song and then let quality and safety slide. Is Anglican Community Services going the same way as a industry leper Bupa?
RN 24/7 for one more year
Published 26 September 2019
NSW sits on its hands as the Aged Care Royal Commission works its way through staffing requirements at nursing homes. A victory of sorts only for advocates
Crackdown on elder abuse
Published 26 September 2019
The new NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner warns retirement village operators he will have them in his sights over the issue of elder abuse.
Basic funeral dead and buried
Published 26 September 2019
It’s the quick and the dead if you want a regulated basic funeral. From 1 February 2020, the basic funeral will be defunct replaced with providers’ cheapest options.
Aged Care Royal Commission six month extension
Published 26 September 2019
A six month extension pushes the Final Report due date to 12 November 2020. Also Tony Pagone QC is announced as the third Commissioner.
0% Term Deposits?
Published 23 August 2019
Getting no interest or, even worse, paying the bank interest over your own savings, is that something retirees and intending retirees are now countenancing or is there an alternative?
Bupa Eden’s 11th hour escape
Published 23 August 2019
The goings-on at Bupa's nursing home in Eden weren't as dramatic as the wholesale abandonment of frail elderly residents at the Earle Haven nursing home on the Gold Coast, but it demonstrated once again that the new-broom Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is an impotent and inadequate defender of the health and wellbeing of nursing home residents. [more]
Nursing homes are understaffed period
Published 23 August 2019
Guest contributor, Dr Michael Wynne of the unfunded, grass roots advocacy organisation Aged Care Crisis explains why increasing staffing levels in nursing home is a prerequisite, not the be-al-and-end-all, of quality care in Australia's nursing homes. [more]
Health funding or health profiteering crisis?
Published 23 August 2019
Public debate on health centres on private health insurance and how unaffordable it has become and how inadequate. CPSA is an unlikely defender of private health insurance funds, but the funds are only secondary culprits, enablers of the primary culprits. [more]
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