Council has relinquished most in-home aged care, but was there another way?

From Rhonda Small, Candidate for Albert Park Ward

Wednesday 22 February 2024 was a dark day for aged care services in Port Phillip.

After decades of delivering valued in-home support to older residents, a majority of Port Phillip Councillors voted to hand over most in-home care to not-for-profit private providers.

An attempt to delay the decision for six months and fully investigate how services might be retained by Council was defeated six votes to three. Crs. Nyaguy, Baxter and Crawford tried to persuade their colleagues of the importance of Council maintaining cleaning, shopping, home and other essential home care services but were unsuccessful. Crs Martin, Sirakoff, Pearl, Bond, Clark and Cunsolo voted against delaying the decision.

So at the end of August, 45 dedicated aged care staff were made redundant. And our community lost a caring workforce and a publicly owned and locally accountable service.

Not all councils have exited in-home care. Our neighbouring council Bayside made the investments in staff and systems some time ago to meet the requirements of the planned Commonwealth changes to the system, and their services are now thriving.

“Bayside City Council is expanding our in-home aged care services. In a changing aged care landscape, we’ve stepped up where some others have stepped away – because we’re committed to being there for our community, as long as you need us.”
https://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/news/aged-care-commitment

And recently another council-led solution emerged. Glen Eira Council announced they are partnering with Bayside:

“The agreement between Bayside and Glen Eira will ensure continuity of high-quality care; continued availability of council-led services into the future, and employment opportunities for existing staff.
Both councils will collaborate to maintain the highest level of care for older residents in both Bayside and Glen Eira, fostering an inclusive, active, healthy, connected and creative experience for all.”
https://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/news/bayside-provide-aged-care-services-glen-eira

If Port Phillip did not have the foresight to expand its services when all the Commonwealth changes were mooted some years ago – and higher level care provision was clearly to be required of home care providers – why did Council not seek to partner with Bayside, just as Glen Eira has now clearly done?

The question remains. Could a new Council committed to local provision of publicly accountable and council-led care also seek to partner with Bayside – or is it all now just too late?