Commenting on “Aged and Community Care Services Australia’s campaign “Old Frail and Invisible - Don’t’ Turn Your Back On Us” Mr Harris said there is “significant and growing concern about the impact of the 2016/17 Federal Budget cuts arising from changes around the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI)”.

“Our campaign Old, frail and invisible highlights the significant issues impacting on them, the aged care workforce and industry sustainability,” Mr Harris said.

“Our residents and clients deserve better and together we can ensure that despite being old and frail, they are not invisible”.

Mr Harris said both the Federal Coalition and the Opposition have failed to recognise the impact of the $1.2 billion cut to the Aged care Funding Instrument (ACFI) will have on aged residents.

“The Coalition won’t listen and Opposition won’t change budget cuts,” Mr Harris said.

Ray reiterated that the $1.2 billion cut primarily targets resident’s pain and medication management and as an example, will cut the maximum subsidy for Complex Health Care from $66 to $16.

A recent industry analysis “Ansell Strategic” “Impact of Budget Cuts To Aged Care’ has estimated, Mr Harris said, that a facility of similar size to Cowra’s “Bilyara” could have a short fall of funding in the vicinity of $439,000.

“The cut in fact disadvantages the most vulnerable, particularly our aged suffering from chronic pain, degenerative disease, severe arthritis, and complex wounds,” Mr Harris said.

The Ansell study conducted a number of case studies to show how aged care residents would suffer as a result of the cuts.

Mr Harris said one such study used the example of a 65-year old gentleman who resides in a regional home located in NSW.

The resident, referred to as Mr. B has advancing Parkinson’s disease and is generally confined to his chair.

Mr B requires 2-hour pressure care to avoid pressure sores and use to receive a 20-minute massage four days a week from the home’s Physiotherapist to alleviate rheumatic pain in his back.

Mr Harris said Mr B requires medications every 2-hours during the day to prevent severe shaking and “freezing” episodes.

Under the existing funding tool, the home is funded $66.82 per day to care for Mr. B.’s complex care needs, including the administration of medications by a Registered Nurse.

Mr Harris said under the new arrangements, Mr B. will be considered to only have “low” complex care requirements and the home will be provided $16.25 per day to provide the same care.

This will be less than the cost incurred to administer the medications alone.

Mr Harris said the home will effectively be underfunded for the effort to assist with medication administration and receive no funding for skin care or the management of Mr. B’s pain.

Federal Minister Susan Ley was recently quoted as saying the cuts “involves a stronger compliance regime, tougher fines, and reducing the number of incorrect or false claims made by providers by $60 million over the next four years.”

Mr Harris said Ms Ley is falsely claiming that one in five claims are wrong and Aged Care facilities are ripping off the system to the tune of $15 million per annum.

“Can the Minister substantiate that this is a proven fact when ACSA data confirms only 37% of validations of down grading’s were retained and that ACSA data also confirms we get seven out of eight correct.

 “Why punish the most vulnerable by withdrawing funding and making a unilateral decision to reduce funding of care to all residents, why not punish the rorters – if it’s proven one in five the validators have been more than vigilant”.