Home Care Packages program continues in crisis mode
Published 1 February 2019
IN December last year, the sixth Home Care Packages Program Data Report came out for the September 2018 quarter and it’s becoming something like a broken record.
Put an end to homelessness and housing stress!
Published 1 February 2019
A REPORT by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has found that Australia needs to triple its social housing stock over the next 20 years to cover both the existing backlog and newly emerging need.
Granny flat traps
Published 1 February 2019
NASTY things can happen if you’re not careful with granny flats. Legal complications, tax implications, granny flats are not for the faint-hearted.
Is the Fire and Emergency Services Levy (FESL) dead and buried?
Published 1 February 2019
THAT question was asked by the NSW Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee inquiry into the Fire and Emergency Services Levy. The response of a senior NSW Treasury official was, “… the Treasurer is on record as saying that the FESL in its current form is dead, buried and cremated”. [more]
Get the best smoke alarm
Published 1 February 2019
SINCE 2006 smoke alarms have been mandatory in all buildings in NSW where people sleep. Most building fire fatalities occur when people are asleep and a correctly installed smoke alarm increases time available for safe escape, but smoke alarms ain’t smoke alarms. [more]
Superannuation: Work Test exemption signed into law
Published 1 February 2019
THE work test requires people between the ages of 65 and 74 to work a minimum of 40 hours during a period of 30 consecutive days to make voluntary, after-tax contributions to superannuation.
Super not so super: Productivity Commission
Published 1 February 2019
THE Productivity Commission’s final report Superannuation: Assessing Efficiency and Competitiveness into the efficiency and competitiveness of the superannuation industry should be the blueprint for urgent superannuation reform in 2019. [more]
Welcoming, Defensive, Dismissive: Industry Response to Aged Care Royal Commission
Published 22 November 2018
The Government’s message is that all’s well with aged care and that’s why we need a Royal Commission into it.
Retirement Villages and Aged Care
Published 22 November 2018
Retirement villages are very suitable places for people to receive aged care at home, because a village concentrates care recipients in an area and care workers don’t have to spend hours in traffic to move from one to another.
Robots, Apps and Aged Care
Published 22 November 2018
OFTEN when aged care providers talk about the use of digital technology and automation, what they are really talking about is reducing operational costs.
Lack of Public Trust in Aged Care
Published 22 November 2018
THERE is a crisis of public confidence in aged care, and for a good reason.
Energy Update
Published 22 November 2018
If you haven't switched energy deals in the last year or two, there's a chance you're on one of the highest priced deals in the market, called a standing offer.
Consumer Affairs Ministers No-no No-Paper-Bill-Fees
Published 22 November 2018
THE VOICE is finally able to give an update on the issue of fees for paper bills. On 26 October 2018, after many delays, a decision was made by the Consumer Affairs Ministers at their Forum.
My Health Record Changes
Published 22 November 2018
Two My Health Record changes have been proposed by the Australian Government to make My Health Record acceptable to people concerned about their private medical information.
Aged Care Apathy and Ignorance Rife
Published 18 October 2018
New research by National Seniors confirms that most people don’t start thinking about aged care until their need or the need of a relative or friend becomes critical.
Five Billion Reasons for Mandated Staff Ratios
Published 18 October 2018
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has joined the mandatory-staff-to-residents-ratio camp.
76% on Wrong Home Care Package
Published 18 October 2018
After all the excitement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care being announced, the spotlight seems to be on nursing homes, but the entire aged care system, including community aged care, is in crisis.
Aged Care Sector Makes Clean-ish Breast of It
Published 18 October 2018
A ONE-PAGE Department of Health statistical report on aged care was leaked to a journalist at the Courier-Mail. This report contained some astonishing statistics, which show how bad things actually are in residential aged care, but which also show that when the Australian Aged Care Accreditation Agency and the Complaints Commissioner went looking, they found a lot more than they had in previous years. [more]
What the Aged Care Royal Commission Will Do: In Plain English
Published 18 October 2018
The terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Aged Care are broad and fair. The Royal Commission can investigate anything it wants.
Super Contribution Exemption
Published 18 October 2018
The Federal Treasury is working on regulations that provide a one-year exemption from the work test for superannuation contributions to allow recent retirees to boost their superannuation balances.
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