The details, at a glance
AAA provides you with a summary of the recently released PwC report on the value of a single aged care association.
By Keryn Curtis
The following highlighted points are taken directly from the report, Is the sum greater than the parts? The value of a single industry aged care
association. It is intended to provide a brief flavour of the report only.
A full copy of the report is available at: www.agedcareunited.com.au
The time for action
The Australian Government recently tasked the Productivity Commission (PC) to review aged care, and its report ‘Caring for Older Australians’ will soon be
finalised. The PC has expressed an interest in changes to the sector which could see an opening of the market to make it more responsive to the customer base, and to provide a more integrated continuum of housing and service.
In this environment, it is important that the sector expresses a future vision for aged care and the housing of older Australians, and is proactive, rather than reactive, to its development and implementation.
Aged care is at the cusp of becoming the new primary focus of the Commonwealth Government, which has already agreed to assume responsibility for Home and Community Care Services (HACC) and is under increasing pressure to address the challenges posed by the pace of population ageing.
With the PC soon to provide its recommendations to the Commonwealth Government, now is the time for the industry to be most impactful at the national level. It is important that providers of accommodation and services to older Australians are proactive and lead the development of the future landscape for aged care, rather than respond to what may be new developments in the way that aged care is provided and funded.
Key points
The analysis contained in the report indicates that:
• both the Federated Model and the National Model outperform existing arrangements for providing industry representation
• both models represent an important shift if the sector wants to increase its impact at the national level and be more coordinated and proactive in setting the future governance landscape for the sector going forward
• on balance, the National Model may give greater scope to reduce administrative costs and increase the profile of sector issues with the public and key decision makers.
For a national association to be effective, it is important that:
• enough power and resources is delegated to the national secretariat to allow for effective analysis, lobbying and representation
• either of the models retains a state presence and will resource local servicedelivery. State resources and responsibilities should also appropriately reflectlocal differences in business conditions (including at the rural/regional level), state legislation, consumer practice, and other areas of variation at the state level
• an appropriate state/local identity is maintained to provide members with an experience of belonging to something more than a national association
• effective opportunities are provided for more members to participate in, or contribute to the national association
• key risks are identified early and managed to ensure that existing sources of value from each national association is not lost.
Video presentation
A video overview presentation of the report is available on the website
www.agedcareunited.com.au. [To obtain a copy for reproduction on a website, email
communications@accv.com.au]
Online poll
An online poll is also being conducted to determine reader’s responses to the following statement:
“It is time for aged and senior service providers, ACSA, ACAA and RVA to work together as a priority to create a new united Australian aged and senior services association, representing the entire industry.”
The poll is available on the website www.agedcareunited.com.au
