"I think it's extortionate. I think it's exploitative."
A joint Four Corners, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age - theage.com.au investigation examines the ruthless tactics that residents say put profits before people.
Bleeding Them Dry Until They Die: Monday night on ABC TV and ABC iview

https://www.facebook.com/abc4corners/videos/10154721129505954/

Consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), is warning older people to beware of ‘phishing’ scams that con people out of their personal information and money.
The scammers pretend to be from well-known businesses and government departments and frequently target those aged over 65.
So far in 2017, the ACCC’s Scamwatch has received more than 11,000 reports of this scam and nearly $260,000 lost.
Phishing scams are by far the most common ‘bait’ reported to Scamwatch and email or phone calls are the scammers’ preferred tools of trade for contacting potential victims.
“Scammers use phishing to trick their victims into giving out valuable personal information such as their bank account numbers, passwords, credit card numbers or even their online passwords for their PayPal, Apple or social media accounts,” said the ACCC’s Delia Rickard.
“Any personal information you have is potentially valuable to a scammer and they will try to garner it in a variety of ways."
“The vast majority come either via the phone or email. The scammers will pretend to be representatives of well-known organisations, like a bank, phone company or government department such as Centrelink or the Australian Tax Office, to give them the air of legitimacy.”
Ms Rickard said the scammer may say the bank or organisation is verifying customer records due to a technical error that wiped customer data.
They may also ask you to fill out a customer survey and offer a prize for participating. The information is then used to access victims’ credit cards, steal their identity, or scam their friends and family.
“It’s very important you closely guard your personal information. Delete any email or hang up on a phone call you receive out of the blue that is asking for your personal information — even if it purports to be from a well-known business or government organisation you have previously dealt with and trust."
“If you think your information has been stolen by a scammer, report it to the relevant institution immediately. For example, if you think they have your bank details, get in touch with your bank; if you think they have your login to a social media account, contact that site to report it. The sooner you can act, the better,” Ms Rickard said.
For further details, go to www.scamwatch.gov.au 

​Source: http://bit.ly/2tRsmzY 

A new report warns Australia is under-prepared for an imminent and radical change to the way the Federal Government funds residential aged care services. Researchers from the Institute for Health and Ageing at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) say older Australians receiving Commonwealth assistance will be increasingly empowered to make decisions about how they spent it, moving away from a historical funding system that allocated funding to aged care providers.
Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt this week launched the report Older and Wiser: Putting the Consumer's Voice at the Centre of Residential Aged Care.
Based on a study that explored the impact of consumer directed care (CDC) on six aged care facilities in Melbourne, the report highlights what needs to be done to support this dramatic change to aged care services in Australia.
Issues highlighted in the report include the need for more workforce training, job restructuring, greater empowerment of residential aged care facility workers, and strong leadership by managers of residential aged care facilities.
ACU’s Institute for Health and Ageing Director Professor Marita McCabe said consumer directed care was an opportunity to better meet the needs of older Australians, but more planning and preparation was needed.
“Australia needs a residential aged care sector that can better tailor services to meet the individual needs of older people,” Professor McCabe said.
“With an estimated 76,000 new residential aged care facilities required by 2023-24, it’s important change happens now to ensure the aged care sector is prepared for the ‘silver tsunami’.
“However, for this important shift to be successful more support is needed from government and industry for greater workforce training, as well as education for older Australians and their families who are making decisions about residential aged care.”
From 27 February this year, older people living at home have been able to change aged care providers if they wish, or if they move to another area to live. For those who make the change, the funding for their aged care services package is transferred to their new provider.

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