"Life is precious": Scott Morrison in tears over Aged Care reform
Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared to get emotional while addressing the report on the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
With 147 recommendations made to fix the broken sector, Mr Morrison tearfully committed at least $452 million in funding.
“Life is to be lived every single second, every single minute. It is precious. This is something I have believed my entire life, life is precious,” he told reporters from Kirribilli House.
“You don’t wait it out. And the fact that Australians feel they are waiting out their life, it’s impossible to put into words how you respond to that.”
"So generational change is needed. I thank the commissioners because they're honest because they know there are no easy fixes."
The report was over 200 pages long, Health Minister Greg Hunt said when it was released.
He went on to say the Aged Care Act of 1997 would be torn up, telling reporters: “That will be a significant process but it’s based on a simple concept of respect for the individual, instead of being about providers, instead of it being about money.”
The half a billion dollar funding package will aim to tackle five key areas head on within the aged care sector: Home care, residential aged care quality and safety, residential aged care services and sustainability, workforce and governance.
The Prime Minister said the future of aged care will not be in retirement homes, but in managed care within somebody's home.
"The future, substantively, overwhelmingly, particularly over time, will not be in facilities. They'll be in people's homes. And there will be a range of supports that are provided," Mr Morrison said.
"Not unlike how you see individual care packages developed for people under the NDIS."