Older people want action on care, climate

A new survey has found older Australians want action on aged care, health and pensions but they have a growing worry over the climate.

The Adani mine played a major part in the election.

The Adani mine played a major part in the election. Source: AAP

It's not just young voters who want action on climate change with a new poll showing over half of older Australians want a greater focus on the environment from the major political parties.

With just a week to run to the May 18 election a survey of 3000 older Australians for COTA Australia found 53 per cent of respondents identified climate change as a top national issues in deciding how they will vote.

That compares with just 28 per cent in the 2016 survey, the last time the country went to the polls.

Topping the election issues survey conducted by Essential research, two thirds of respondents cited access to good quality aged care - up from 57 per cent at the last election - access to quality primary health services also scored 66 per cent, followed by access to adequate age pensions (61 per cent).

"We are bitterly disappointed and disturbed that neither major party has announced a plan to tackle the home care waiting list," COTA chief executive Ian Mr Yates said releasing the poll results on Sunday.

"It is not too late for the major parties to step up and show they have been listening to the needs of all Australians, including older Australians."

He said there are more than 125,000 older Australians waiting to receive adequate care at home, thousands of whom die waiting, and the whole aged care system in danger of falling over as a result.

"It's inexplicable that both the Coalition and Labor are saying to older Australians that among the billions of dollars promised or saved they cannot find $2 billion a year to make sure frail older Australian assessed by government as in need, get care within three months."

Mr Yates welcomed Labor's pensioner dental scheme, saying it will make a huge difference to hundreds of thousands of older Australians and puts dental into Medicare for the first time.

"We also welcome action on cancer care," he said, another focus of Labor in its campaign.


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world