National Seniors Australia Chief Advocate Ian Henschke has told Sky News Australians have a “problem with ageism,” as the elderly are not seen as valuable and as a result “we’ve been profiteering from the old aged”.

The final recommendations of the aged care royal commission were released on Monday prompting the Morrison government to immediately respond with an interim $452 million funding package.

The recommendations included the creation of a new Aged Care Act and an inspector-general, urgent review of care standards, clearing 100,000 Australians from the home care package waiting list, and a new ‘care at home’ subsidised government service.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the $452 million package which focused on more funding for aged care providers and funding to increase personal care workers in response to the Royal Commission’s findings.

Mr Henschke said despite more than 15 inquiries into aged care since 1997, the system can still be fixed.

“You can fix things when they’re broken but you actually have to have the will and you got to also understand how the system works,” he said.

“These are our old people and they are valuable.

“Australians have had a problem with ageism. We haven’t seen them as being valuable so we’ve actually been profiteering from the old aged.

“That is where you have a problem.”