This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE federal government will tip in a further $468.3 million into its response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and implement a new funding model from October.
This brings total investment in aged care in this year’s budget to $18.8 billion, up from $17.7 billion last year.
The investment maintains the rolling out of 80,000 home care packages over 2021 to 2023, funds 33,800 new training places for aged care workers, 8,400 new respite services, and $345 million in funding to link nursing homes with community pharmacists and on-site pharmacists to improve medication management and safety.
While $49.5 million will go to subsidising 15,000 vocational education and training places, there was nothing for wages for the aged care workforce – which the Royal Commission has considered to be underpaid and understaffed.
Advocacy body Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia said the budget will help aged care, but more accountability of providers’ aged care spending is needed.
“We are pleased to see the government maintain the momentum toward reforming aged care in a way that improves outcomes for older people,” COTA Australia chief executive Ian Yates said.
“We continue to look to the government for its response to the Royal Commission’s recommendation for a seniors dental program. Funding oral health is critical to maintaining quality of life in aged care and in the community. We are disappointed such a program was not in tonight’s budget. It is long overdue.”
From October, the government will implement a new residential aged care funding model that includes an additional $36.40 per bed, per day. Each nursing home will have a target for the number of minutes of care they must deliver based on the clinical needs of residents. This will be based on the initial stage recommended by the Royal Commission of 200 minutes per resident per day.
Nursing homes will be rated out of five stars on how well they met their target without publishing the exact minutes of care they should have delivered for the funding they received, against the number of minutes they actually delivered.
“While the increased transparency included in the government’s reform package is appreciated, more transparency is required to ensure funding is being spent as it is intended,” Yates said.
“Australian families deserve to know if the government is spending on average $225 per day to deliver 200 minutes of care, that their aged care provider is actually delivering that care the taxpayer funded.
“We call on the government to commit to publishing this information for every nursing home across the country as part of their star rating system.”
