This month we released our inaugural State of the Sector report, highlighting the opportunities and challenges facing the aged care sector in Australia, including funding, workforce, reform and the priorities for a better future.
The report is significant because it reflects the views of providers, those with boots on the ground caring for our loved one’s day in, day out.
The number one priority for providers is improving the lives of older Australians and they are achieving strong results, even with the challenges they face.
The demand for aged care is growing, highlighting the urgent need to create a system that delivers high quality care now and into the future, however the report found seven out of 10 providers were concerned about Australia’s readiness to support an ageing population.
Providers are also feeling the brunt of worker shortages
In the survey, 97 per cent were worried about increasing costs. This almost universal concern is understandable, given half of residential providers continue to lose money and the margins of home care providers are crashing.
When asked about challenges facing the aged care sector, 92 per cent of providers nominated government funding (under current policy settings before implementation of Aged Care Bill 2024 currently before the parliament) as a concern.
The problems are worse in regional and rural areas or thin markets. Worryingly, 20 per cent of smaller providers were not confident in their ability to provide aged care services in the next 12 months.
This shows just how vital the Australian Government’s response to the Aged Care Taskforce as part of the new aged care bill is, when it comes to making the aged care sector more sustainable
Half of providers (51 per cent) believed aged care reforms were pointing the sector in the right direction. However, the pace of change is worrying providers, with 64 per cent saying transition timeframes were too fast, and 84 per cent believing new requirements will put a greater strain on the sector.
Providers are also feeling the brunt of worker shortages, with just 36 per cent confident they would be able to recruit enough staff to meet their increased care minutes. Current migration settings aren’t the answer, with 64 per cent unable to access the workers required under current arrangements.
Even under such challenging circumstances, providers are doing a great job to serve their communities.
In a recently released government report on resident experience, 85 per cent of the surveyed residents said they were likely to recommend their aged care home to someone, showing a high level of satisfaction.
That’s the number one priority for providers – improving the lives of older Australians.
Tom Symondson is chief executive officer of Aged & Community Care Providers Association
More stakeholder views from this edition
- Patricia Sparrow: The Aged Care Act – does it go far enough?
- Ian Yates: Bill must pass before Christmas
- Dr Claudia Meyer: Research, policy and practice must be aligned
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