Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a royal commission into the aged care sector following appalling cases of abuse of elderly people.

‘We are committed to providing older Australians with access to care that supports their dignity and recognises the contribution that they have made to society,’ he said in a statement.

The decision was triggered in part by the Oakden nursing home scandal in South Australia, which was closed a year ago.

The secretly filmed footage shows the 82-year-old (right) being grabbed and also repeatedly beaten with a shoe

The secretly filmed footage shows the 82-year-old (right) being grabbed and also repeatedly beaten with a shoe

The Prime Minister could no longer ignore the alarming number of aged care operators ‘flouting the law and putting lives at risk’.

There was an 177 per cent increase in the number of aged care homes where a serious risk to residents was identified in the last financial year, according to new government figures.

There was a 292 per cent increase in the number of facilities that refused to comply with rules.

‘Walking by these statistics was not possible,’ Mr Morrison said.

The Oakden nursing home for elderly people was shut down last year following a damning report by South Australia’s chief psychiatrist highlighting ongoing neglect and mistreatment of residents.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Oakden case was ‘one of the greatest disgraces in Australian mental healthcare history’. 

Prakash Paudyal, 35, (pictured) was charged earlier this month over the abuse - captured by a secretly-placed camera installed by Mr Nabulsi's family.

Prakash Paudyal, 35, (pictured) was charged earlier this month over the abuse - captured by a secretly-placed camera installed by Mr Nabulsi's family.

Mr Paudyal has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault on Mr Nabulsi

Mr Paudyal has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault on Mr Nabulsi

The Prime Minister’s announcement follows the alleged abuse of David Nabulsi, 82, (right on left) by nurse Prakash Paudyal, 35, (left) in a Bupa aged care facility in Seaforth on Sydney’s northern beaches last month

The Prime Minister’s announcement also follows the alleged abuse of David Nabulsi, 82, in a Bupa aged care facility in Seaforth on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Prakash Paudyal, 35, was charged earlier this month over the abuse – captured by a secretly-placed camera installed by Mr Nabulsi’s family. 

Mr Paudyal has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault following the release of the footage, which shows the 82-year-old being repeatedly beaten with a shoe.

Mr Morrison, in a statement, said the government also needed to prepare for a major increase in demand on aged care as the baby boomers age.

‘With more Australians exercising their choice to stay at home for longer, this means that when Australians are entering residential aged care these days they are doing so with more acute needs,’ he said.

‘This will continue to have a big impact on our residential aged care model in the future. We need to get ahead of this.’

The prime minister said Australia was a world leader in aged care, and most operators and carers were outstanding.

‘But the best teams will always want to do better, and will always want to be honest about the performance of the sector as a whole.’

The royal commission will also look into the challenge of caring for young people.

 

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