A year of AAA coverage: your top 10

It’s been a busy year in aged care news. Here are the 10 most read stories on Australian Ageing Agenda online during 2014.

From the axing of the dementia supplement and the ensuing sector backlash, to the Federal Government’s plans for the next wave of reforms – it’s been a busy year in aged care news. Here are the 10 most read stories on Australian Ageing Agenda online during 2014.

Finance budget calculation

1: Federal Budget coverage

In what was your most read story this year, AAA’s coverage of the Federal Budget 2014-15 reported that the $1.5 billion Workforce Compact money was being re-directed back into the general pool of aged care funding, while there would be a reduction in the annual growth rate in funding of the Commonwealth Home Support Program from 2018-19.

Parliament-house-canberra- resized

2: Dementia supplement axed

It became the industry’s political story of the year, and was your second most popular story. The Federal Government’s decision to axe the Dementia and Severe Behaviours Supplement in June attracted criticism from industry and consumer lobbies and descended into a political tit-for-tat exchange between the major parties.

ehealth
3: Special report: How NBN changes will impact telehealth

Telehealth and the NBN have long been expected to revolutionise home-based healthcare in Australia, but could a scaled down version of the NBN affect that? This in-depth report from Technology Review caught your attention – at number three on the most read list.

Alzheimers Australia Buttrose and Camp web(1)
4: Montessori method for dementia care resources

News of resources based on the Montessori education method aiming to help family carers maintain better relationships with their loved ones with dementia and an accompanying national workshop tour was your fourth most popular story this year.

Care giver helping a senior woman   at home to go to bed

5: Breaking down professional barriers in aged care

Coming in at fifth most read, this opinion piece we published in February in which Yun Hee Jeon, an Associate Professor at Sydney Nursing School, The University of Sydney, wrote that if we are serious about ensuring quality care in residential aged care then we have to realise that nurses and care workers can’t do it all.

Mitch Fifield_CEDA feature crop

6: Minister outlines next wave of reforms

Assistant Minister for Social Services Mitch Fifield makes his strongest statements to date in support of a consumer-led aged care system – by lifting government rationing of places in residential care, and moving to a cashed out model in home care.

Training
7: Employers reject Cert III graduates

Our report in January on new research showing aged care employers are refusing to hire qualified graduates of Certificate III in Aged Care courses because of concerns over the quality of their training was your seventh most read story this year.

women shopping

8: Dutch model offers new approach to home care

Ahead of an Australian visit, Australian Ageing Agenda interviewed Jos de Blok, whose not-for-profit organisation Buurtzorg has revolutionised home care in the Netherlands and is now attracting the attention of countries worldwide.

profit statement

9: Second aged care provider prepares to float on ASX

In September, we reported that major for-profit provider Regis was set to become the latest aged care operator to list on the Australian Securities Exchange, following the success of the Japara float earlier in the year.

earth on green leaves

10: Sustainability in aged care

To design and build truly sustainable aged care facilities, one only needs to look to nature to see how it should be done, an expert told Australian Ageing Agenda in March, in your tenth most popular story this year.

Tags: budget 2014, building, Buurtzorg, Certificate III in Aged Care, dementia-supplement, federal-budget, japara, Jos de Blok, mitch-fifield, montessori, nbn, regis, slider, sustainability, technology, training, workforce-compact, Yun Hee Jeon,

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