A number of significant reforms have been rolled out over the last 2 years since the final report of the Royal Commission into aged care quality and safety, with providers embracing changes as guided by the reforms to enable a substantial overhaul of the aged care system. With further reforms underway in 2023, the Aged & Community Care Summit developed in partnership with COTA Australia will be an opportunity to gain different perspectives on the progress of the reforms till date, the challenges, opportunities and priorities for the rest of the year.
As the sector grapples with the workforce crisis, building a sustainable care economy, transforming consumer experience, navigating pricing and funding models in home care and managing the regulatory requirements, it’s critical to understand how these reforms will impact you. Learn from senior leaders and key stakeholders across the sector to help you prepare for change, gain clarity and begin developing strategies to help you navigate complexity.
Let’s lead this change towards delivering a sustainable & high-quality aged care system together.
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Please spare a thought for older Australians who are injured and become disabled after the age of 65. Just like those who become disabled through accident when under 65, they need care to help them lead a productive life. The disabled when under 65 group are well cared for in the NDIS and they retain that support for life.
If injured and disabled after 65, the NDIS rejects them and they have to rely on Age Care support. The Age Care at Home system is designed for the frail aged, not the disabled with higher care needs.
An Age Care Package at Level 4 will supply about 10 to 11 hours care each week, leaving nothing for equipment or allied health etc . Someone who requires a carer to get them out of bed, onto the toilet, into the shower and then dressed and into a wheelchair requires 1 ½ hours care and then a further hour to be helped back into bed at the end of the day, a total of 17 ½ hours per week.
Accordingly, unless you have a family able to supply the deficit in care your only alternative is institutional care.
This small minority fall into ‘purgatory’, discriminated against because they are excluded from the NDIS and not adequately supported under My Aged Care. It would be best to remove this age discrimination. Unfortunately, despite petitions to Parliament (Petition PN0442, presented by Zali Steggall, MP, Dec 2019) there seems little appetite for this solution.
A Simple Solution:
Fund age care according to need.
1. Immediately introduce a supplement to the Age Care Level 4 package available to this category of older Australians, on a needs basis, individually assessed.
2. Incorporate such a supplement in the new Support at Home scheme for 2025.
Please support this fair measure. It is a human right. It was supported by The Age Care Royal Commission (Recommendation 72: Equity for people with disability receiving aged care.) Cost would be minimal because small numbers are involved.