The new Aged Care Act aims to ensure a higher quality of aged care in Australia by focussing on older people’s rights and making the responsibilities of providers of aged care more specific and detailed.
Following feedback that more time was required to review the draft Act, the Government has extended the public consultation period to Friday 8 March 2024.
The Government is seeking feedback from everyone with an interest in aged care, including:
- older people, their families and carers
- aged care providers and workers
- advocates
- volunteers
- researchers
- experts.
The new Act will help ensure that people accessing funded aged care:
- are safe
- are treated with respect
- have the quality of life they deserve.
What are the key changes?
How aged care services are accessed
In addition to the existing needs assessment, if there is a high demand for services, there will be a new process to decide who gets priority.
How aged care services are delivered
Registered providers must meet set requirements (or ‘obligations’) which will be outlined in the Act and the Rules. There are separate obligations for workers and key staff members.
Payments and subsidies
The new Act will include 2 new subsidies based on the type of costs needed to deliver aged care services:
- person-centred – for funding directly linked to the costs of delivering services to a specific person.
- provider-based – to fund the fixed cost of delivering aged care services. These relate to specific provider considerations, such as their location, capacity or specialisation.
Regulating the residential aged care system for consumer safety
There will be new powers for the Commission to enter a residential care home without consent or a warrant, and stronger penalties for providers who do not meet their obligations.
You can read the summary of proposed changes to the Act here.
How can you get involved?
You can provide your input on any of the above areas, before 7pm AEDT, Friday 8 March 2024 by Email to: AgedCareLegislativeReform@health.gov.au
SoCom Consulting advises on NDIS and Aged Care Provider applications, policies and procedures, compliance and strategic business development. To discuss how we can assist you, Contact Us or download one of our FAQs here:
- NDIS FAQs – Understand the NDIS Provider application process for Verification vs Certification
- Aged Care FAQs – Understand the process and likely timeframes for applying to become an approved Aged Care Provider
