New changes:
Aged Care Roadmap... What to Expect...
Home care providers do need to be aware of this upcoming change...
Improved Payment Arrangements for Home Care
07 October 2020
The changes to how we pay home care subsidies and supplements to providers will occur in 2 phases. Instead of paying the total in advance, we will pay in arrears for services delivered. We will hold unspent funds for care recipients. This is in line with other Government-funded programs.
What has already changed?
The way the Australian Government pays Home Care Packages Program subsidies and supplements to providers hs changed.
Instead of paying the full subsidy and supplements in advance each month, we will pay in arrears for services delivered. We will make changes in 2 phases. This will not affect care recipients' subsidy entitlements.
Phase 1 – 1 February 2021
In phase 1, we will pay home care subsidies in arrears each month. This is planned to begin on 1 February 2021.
We will continue to pay the full amount, regardless of the services provided in the past month. Providers will continue to hold unspent funds on behalf of their care recipients. There will be no change to how they manage unspent funds. *
* Unspent funds are the total amount of subsidy and fees you have received on behalf of a person that have not been spent.
Phase 2 – 1 September 2021
In phase 2, subject to legislation passing, the payments will be for actual services provided. The Australian Government will hold any unspent Commonwealth funds. These funds will continue to be available to care recipients when needed.
This is planned to begin on 1 September 2021.
Why are these changes important?
These changes align home care with other Government-funded programs like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), as well as modern business practices.
These changes will move the responsibility for holding care recipients’ Australian Government paid portion of unspent funds from the provider to the Australian Government.
This will reduce the prudential risk in home care over time, and improve protections for care recipients’ home care funds as the program grows. These changes are better suited to the service delivery, consumer-directed care nature Home Care Packages Program.
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The Australian Government is investing $550 million into services for carers.
New services include face to face counselling, planning assistance and financial packages.
If you support a family member or friend who has a disability, mental health condition, chronic health condition, terminal illness, or is frail aged, then these free services are for you.
Wellways is your first point of contact for Carer Gateway services.
Accessing carer services
How to access these services:
Our Carer Gateway team is available 6am-10pm, 7 days a week.
To register for services, call 1800 422 737 or visit www.carergateway.gov.au for more information.
Emergency respite is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1800 422 737.
Carers can also request a call back.
It’s our job to keep you informed of the expanded Carer Services, when the services will be available and how you will access the services.
Wellways Australia is your first point of contact for all Australian Government funded carer services across Queensland, South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains.
If you live in any of these areas, register your interest in accessing support.
“Since April, we have introduced a new service delivery model designed by carers, for carers to help them get the support they need early, before reaching crisis point. We are also providing demand driven funding for carers to access respite when they need it,” Minister Ruston said.
Under this new model, funding earmarked for respite will increase from the existing $44 million allocation to $65 million in the first year, increasing to $77 million in year five.
Existing service provider funding will be extended until 31 May 2020 to ensure continuity of support to carers during the important transition to the new Carer Gateway service providers."
Since 6 April 2020, the new Australia-wide network of regional Carer Gateway service providers have given carers access to:
Your current carer services:
Carers can continue to access support through their current service providers until the new Carer Gateway Service Providers start delivery services in April 2020.
Useful links
General community services assist you to stay at home and remain independent:
Wellways Australia, offers a range of services, including shopping, domestic assistance, personal care, transport and general nursing. Generally these services are funded by a government or aged care package, though some people choose to pay for the services themselves.
Services generally last from one to two hours and may take place on several days during the week or, in some cases, seven days per week. Services include meal preparation, personal care and domestic assistance.
Wellways recognises that having carers come into your home can be awkward so we strive to provide consistent carers and roster staff of your choice. Community services are always by appointment to ensure that your home life is disrupted as little as possible.
https:/wellways.org/our-services/home-and-personal-care-services
For more information, please contact us on 1300 111 400.
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by Judy Skatssoon July 7, 2021
POSTED INAGED CARE Concerns raised about assurance reviews
Home care providers will be subject to “assurance reviews” for the first time under new laws introduced in response to the aged care royal commission.
Sean Rooney The reviews are designed to encourage “continuous improvement”, but legal experts say they give the government the power to demand information about almost all aspects of a provider’s business and could lead to increased compliance action and more sanctions against home care providers.
LASA has also raised concern about the breadth of the provision and says the reviews are unlikely to have any effect on home care pricing apart from adding to the administrative burden.
Up to 500 home care providers each year will face assurance reviews from November, aged care services minister Richard Colbeck says.
“The reviews will examine fees and charges applied by home care providers to ensure senior Australians are not facing unjustified costs,” Mr Colbeck said.
Broad powers to investigate:
The new laws enable the department of health to conduct assurance reviews of approved providers to ensure the “effective and efficient” delivery of home care.
The review will be able to look at:
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Aged care minister Ken Wyatt has written to home care providers reminding them they will be required to participate in a pricing comparison table on the My Aged Care website from mid year.
It is also mandatory for them to publish their pricing schedules on the portal’s Home Care Package Service Finder.
The moves are designed to increase transparency and help older Australians better assess costs so they can make an informed choice about their home provider, Mr Wyatt told Aged and Community Services Australia.
New standardised home care pricing Schedule:
To improve transparency for senior Australians, all home care providers will need to publish their pricing information in a new standardised pricing comparability Schedule (the Schedule) on the My Aged Care Service Finder.
"Another key source of confusion is around the mandated requirement by government that all approved providers must publish the prices they charge for certain common care and services in a standard format on My Aged Care, she says."
“Administration and Case Management are no longer separate categories and the model of charging a percentage of a home care package for these is no longer possible,” Ms Poulos says."
“There are two new categories – Package Management and Care Management – that have very clear definitions and requirements to validate charges made to a consumer’s package of care."
“Providers will also be required to attach to the Notice a copy of their full price list or a link to the full price list on their own website."
“Government has indicated that compliance with the new legislation will be monitored for ‘reasonable’ charges however there is no real guidance about what would be considered as ‘reasonable’.“
02 July 2019
Since 1 July 2019 home care providers have needed to publish their prices in a new standardised home care pricing Schedule on the My Aged Care website. This transition to the new pricing structure may be an opportune time to analyse their current pricing policies and determine if they (the Provider) need to change their prices.
The Schedule will provide information on the common services and costs under a home care package.
This will better support senior Australians to understand and compare home care pricing information, and make a more informed decision about which provider is best placed to deliver your care.
01 July 2019
STEP 1: https://myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider
STEP 2: Click on "Help at Home"
STEP 3: Select your Suburb
STEP 4: Click on "Home Support Services" to get a list of Providers
OR “Home Care Package” Level 1, 2, 3 or 4
You can then click on the Providers name for their details
OR Just click on COMPARE – up to 3 at a time
and COMPARE ONE PROVIDER $ AGAINST ANOTHER... Just scroll down.
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for Carers Payments and services if you provide care for someone with a severe disability, illness or a frail and aged adult.
Go to https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/carers
This site has been Extraordinarily well thought out. Go in and just click on whatever information/services you are looking for. This is just a small sample...
The Australian Government has rolled out a range of new early-intervention services and supports for carers in late 2019. These new services have been designed based on evidence that shows the best way to help carers is to help them early in their caring role, increase their skills and reduce the strain of caring. These new services can help you get the support you need before reaching crisis point. New services to give you support and skills New services are currently being designed and tested with carers.
Since July 2019, you were able to get:
Peer support to assist you to connect with and learn from other carers. This online community forum will help carers share their stories, knowledge and experience with others.
Self-guided coaching to support and teach you skills useful to your caring situation. The coaching modules will cover a range of topics and can be completed at your own pace online.
A new phone-based counselling service to provide short term emotional and psychological support.
Practical skills courses to improve your general skills and knowledge are being gradually rolled out. You can explore the first two modules, Dealing with stress, and Effective communication techniques now on carergateway.gov.au.
Improvements includes the introduction of new early-intervention services and a new service delivery model that will provide carers with a support system that is easy to navigate and provides a consistent experience across the country.
New services will give you support and skills -Carer Gateway.
Since July 2019, you are able to get:
CARER GATEWAY -
Carer Gateway Counselling Service.
Caring for a loved one is important work. Some days caring brings great joy, but some days it can be lonely or a little overwhelming. No matter how you feel today, there is a counselling professional just a phone call away.
The Carer Gateway Counselling Service is a free service for carers. Each weekday, from 8am to 6pm, our professional counsellors are waiting to talk through the concerns you have and how you feel about your carer role. To learn more about how counselling helps carers, watch their video “Introducing the Carer Gateway Counselling Service” on https://counselling.carergateway.gov.au/s/
To use the Carer Gateway Counselling Service, simply select ‘Request a Callback’, fill in your details and they will call you back within one business day. You can also call 1800 422 737 and Select Option 1 to speak to our team.
If you are distressed and need immediate support, please select the ‘Urgent Help’ tab for details of 24 hour crisis services.
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Since 6 April 2020, the full suite of services will be available using a network of Carer Gateway regional service providers.
Wellways is the lead agency in the delivery of the new carer services in Queensland and the NSW areas of South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains and supported by our consortia partners Dementia Australia, Little Dreamers, North-West Rural Health and Selectability.
New services available:
These new services can help you to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and get the support you need before reaching crisis point.
The individual’s coping style to psychosocial stress impacts the stress-induced pathological changes and the risk of psychological disorders such as depression.
For an in-depth understanding of Mental Health topics - A - Z.
7 Carer Coping Skills and Planning tips for those Special Occasions
Those Special Occasions/Celebrations are a challenging time for Carers, for many it can be overwhelming, stressful with mixed emotions such as anxiety, love and sadness. Some family members that you don’t often see may find it difficult to understand the complexities of a mental illness, which could lead to loved ones feeling rejected.
NDIS and other services you can access
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Budget 2018-19: how the sector reacted
More packages, more choice ($1.6b for 14,000 additional high-level home care packages + 6000 already announced in the second half of 2017.)
Other announcements included making available 13,500 residential aged care places and 775 short term restorative care places, with $60 million capital investment to support new places, and providing increased flexibility of funding for residential beds or home care packages by combining both programs since July 1, 2018.
The Government also announced in-principle support for putting residential aged care places in the hands of consumers.
COTA welcomed this and pushed for a specific date for the change at latest by next year’s Budget. “Until then with residential care allocated to providers, not in response to consumer demand, older Australians still do not have the ability to choose their nursing home, and good providers are restrained from responding to consumer preferences,” Yates said.
Navigating aged care
The Government will spend $7.4 million over two years to trial Integrated Consumer Supports, including help for older Australians to navigate aged care.
This will include 30 aged care information hubs to provide locally targeted information, 20 community hubs where members support each other in navigating aged care and a dozen specialist positions in consumer-focused organisations and the Department of Human Services to offer additional support.
Dementia Australia chief executive Maree McCabe said the peak was particularly pleased to note funding to assist people seeking information about aged care to make decisions that are right for them.
Palliative care ($32.8 million over 3 years for extra palliative care in residential aged care)
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Update on quality standards
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission 1800 550 552 regarding a Commonwealth-subsidised residential or home-based aged care service
https://agedcarequality.gov.au/about-us
This one-stop shop, combines the former Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and the Aged Care Complaints Commission to monitor aged care quality and handle consumer complaints, thus strengthening the focus on consumers, streamlines regulation, supports better engagement with consumers and providers, and promotes transparency.
The new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission began on January 1st, 2019.
Who do the Act and Rules apply to?
What changes can services and providers expect?
The new Rules look quite different due to the combined functions under the Act. However, while the Rules have combined a number of previously separate legislative instruments, the core processes are preserved.
26 June 2019
Factsheets & FAQs
Aged Care - Flexible
Aged Care – Home and Community
Aged Care – Residential
Assessing services
It has a budget of almost $300 million over four years, employing dozens of additional senior compliance officers. The new Commission will immediately absorb the roles of the current Aged Care Complaints Commissioner and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and, from January 2020, also take over the Department of Health's aged-care compliance responsibilities.
The next hearing will be held in Adelaide from Monday 18 March. It will focus on home care and the community. The following round, focusing on quality, safety and dementia, will be held in Sydney on 6 May.
Key Changes under the new Commission Act and Rules.
The new commissioners of the Royal Commission in to Aged Care Quality and Safety has written to the nation’s top 100 aged care operators, asking them to self-report on details of their operations. The request for information is the first step in the Royal Commission’s information gathering process. The deadline for providing information is January. Smaller operators will also be contacted, and will be given a later deadline.
The letters mark what will be a huge information-gathering process involving every aged care facility in Australia, and also begins a process of review for all operators of their own individual systems and processes.
08 January 2019
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To get ready for the home care changes ahead, the Aged Care Roadmap, future care at home discussion paper and recent review of aged care reforms, offer a good base for providers to start, writes Lorraine Poulos. Providers of home care services, both private and not-for-profit, have been asking me what they can be doing to prepare themselves for the changes that are ahead in the sector.
Some are prepared and have done business case scenarios whilst others are playing a ‘wait and see’ game. The Aged Care Roadmap, the future care at home discussion paper and recent Legislated Review of Aged Care 2017 provide a good base for providers to commence planning for change and opportunities. In the May budget, the government also announced changes to funding arrangements for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). This included new funding conditions to provide a greater focus on activities that support independence and wellness and provide more choice for consumers.
The Aged Care Roadmap sets out a number of the future directions, including:
There are nine destinations outlined in the Aged Care Roadmap. I would like to focus on destination six – ‘Who Provides Care?’ as I think it is very important for CHSP providers to keep this in mind when considering their future. Recently the process for becoming an approved provider has been streamlined resulting in new entrants into the HCP market.
Looking ahead, do be aware that it is the Government's intention to integrate the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), and Home Care Packages (HCP) program into a single care at home program from 1 July 2020. In the 2019-20 Budget the Australian Government announced that funding for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will be extended from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2022.
The number of CHSP providers is still controlled by government, and as we move to a combined CHSP/HCP program in 2020, it is not likely that any new providers will be given grants to provide CHSP leading up to this time.
The desired outcome when it comes to ‘Who provides care?’ according to the roadmap is:
Note: There is no financial assistance officially available for services provided through the CHSP. You have to pay a contribution towards your services. If you are struggling to pay, we suggest talking to your service provider to see if you can negotiate a cheaper rate, although they are under no obligation to provide this.
According to the Roadmap, providers need to be an incorporated entity to be registered with government to receive consumers’ government contributions. In a nutshell, all CHSP and home care providers will become ‘care at home’ registered providers. Some examples of registration types referred to in the Roadmap are:
Becoming an Approved Provider
Page last updated: 22 January 2020
https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/aged-care/providing-aged-care-services/before-providing-aged-care-services
Before applying
Criteria for approval
The Government is committed to increasing choice for all aged care consumers. As part of the Increasing Choices in Home Care reforms, the suitability criteria for becoming an approved provider has been consolidated from 54 mandatory criteria to six key areas:
The changes strengthen the focus on the capacity of the applicant as a whole, including its systems and processes, to deliver quality care and services. There is also less focus on an organisation’s key personnel, who may change regularly. In the near future an online smart form will be made available to make it even easier to apply to become an approved provider of aged care.
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This is just a short example of what you can expect in the next 1 to 6 years. Do read the whole Report at:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/aged-care-roadmap
• How do consumers prepare for and engage with their aged care?
• How are eligibility and care needs assessed?
• How are consumers with different needs supported?
• How do we make dementia core business throughout the system?
• What care is available?
• Who provides care?
• Who pays?
• How will the formal and informal workforce be supported?
• How will quality be achieved?
and on Page 9:
Since April 2020
• Allow home care consumers choice to receive home care payments directly or to direct payments to third parties of choice (e.g. service provider/s or care coordinator).
• Monitoring of unmet demand and supply patterns to help inform timing and sequencing of uncapping supply, with a decision to be made in 3–5 years.
• No ACAR for residential places (funding follows consumer).
• Home Care Package and Commonwealth Home Support Programme combine to form an integrated care at home programme (the second stage of these home care reforms, due to be introduced from July 2018, will integrate the Home Care Packages Program and the Commonwealth Home Support Program into one single home care program. This will simplify the way that home care services are delivered and funded).
• There will be:
• > predominantly individualised funding that follows the consumer;
• > additional government assistance where there is insufficient market response; and
• > block funding (e.g. grants to providers) where considered most appropriate/efficient.
• Some of the key issues to be considered in the development of an integrated care at home programme include:
• > eligibility and assessment;
• > linkage of funding to consumer needs;
• > user contributions and fees;
• > requirements for service providers;
• > balance between individualised funding and block funding;
• > implications for quality, complaints and compliance processes;
• > interface with other programmes, e.g. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), health services and programmes administered by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs; and
• > change management and transitional arrangements.
• Providers will review and adapt their business models to respond to consumer preferences under an integrated care at home programme.
My Aged Care system and process overviews for service providers
Page last updated: 22 January 2020
An overview of the steps that providers of aged care services follow, with links (where available) to guidance information on each step.
https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/my-aged-care/using-my-aged-care/my-aged-care-for-service-providers
• A consistent national approach to prioritising access to care at home developed in consultation with the aged care sector.
• Short-term Restorative Care (STRC) places continue to be allocated.
• Review Short-term Restorative Care (STRC) and Transition Care Programme (TCP) policy frameworks in line with how they sit as part of or alongside a single subsidy system.
Long term (4–6 years)
• Seamless movement between home based and residential care with true consumer choice of care and provider across the spectrum.
• Uncap supply.
• Remove distinction between care at home and residential care, creating a single aged care system — agnostic as to where care is received.
• Implement outcomes of the review of the Short-term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme and Transition Care Programme (TCP).
What needs to be done?
Short term through 2016 – 17. Page 11.
For both accommodation and everyday living costs (residential care only) and care and support:
• > Financial modelling of future cost to consumers, providers and government under various scenarios, including consumer fee scenarios.
• >Determine the market informed price that government is prepared to pay (through the 2016–17 Legislated Review or other process including Aged Care Funding Authority (ACFA)).
• > Identify and assess options for securing the development of affordable home equity release and other financial products to facilitate consumer contributions.
• > Monitoring of impacts of fees arrangements by ACFA.
• > Change official aged care regulatory concepts and language away from ‘subsidies to providers’ to ’government contributions for consumers’.
• > ACFA to report on funding, financing and pricing issues to inform the 2016–17 Legislated Review.
Accommodation
• Include rental income in means testing arrangements for residents who pay their accommodation costs by periodic payments to align with the arrangements that currently apply to those residents who pay via a lump sum.
• The 2016–17 Legislated Review considered:
• > the effectiveness of means testing arrangements for aged care services, including an assessment of an alignment of charges across residential care and home care services.
• > the effectiveness of arrangements for regulating prices for aged care accommodation.
The Bond Guarantee Scheme
• ACFA project to examine alternative arrangements to the Bond Guarantee Scheme to inform the 2016–17 Legislated Review.
• The 2016–17 Legislated Review will consider the effectiveness of arrangements for protecting refundable deposits and accommodation bonds.
on Page 12:
Care and support
• ACFA project to consider cost neutral mechanisms to ensure access to care for supported residents.
• The 2016–17 Legislated Review will consider the effectiveness of means testing arrangements for aged care services, including an assessment of an alignment of charges across residential care and home care services.
Medium term (2–4 years)
For both accommodation and everyday living costs (residential care only) and care and support:
• New financial products available to support consumer choice (e.g. home equity release).
• Measures are in place to enable continued access to care and accommodation by vulnerable consumers (low means, special needs, people with dementia, as under the Aged Care Act 1997).
The Bond Guarantee Scheme
• Reform or replace the Bond Guarantee Scheme in response to the findings of the 2016–17 Legislated Review.
Care and support
• Integrate fee arrangements for Home Care and Commonwealth Home Support as part of the intended 2018 consolidation of the Home Care Packages Programme and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
Long term (4–6 years)
• Means test all income and all assets and treat them equally.
• Re-calibrate consumer contributions in line with capacity to pay.
• Ensure measures are in place to enable continued access to care and accommodation by vulnerable consumers.
Care and support
• Align consumer subsidies for care and support in residential with those for home care for people with the same assessed care needs.
What needs to be done?
Short term
• Development of the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services.
• Establish links between the National Carer Gateway and My Aged Care such that they complement each other.
• Clarify the roles of government and providers on workforce matters to enable a strong shared understanding of the workforce needs of the future and who is responsible for meeting them.
• Target the flexible funds to priorities designed to support the workforce in a changing industry and consumer landscape.
• Embed a strong performance culture in future grants rounds.
• Develop mechanisms to improve the quality of student placements in aged care, covering vocational and higher education.
• Leverage specific government programmes that will boost workforce supply.
• Utilise migration to improve workforce supply.
• Influence higher education to be more inclusive of aged care issues in courses (i.e. to include as mandatory content).
Medium term (3-4 years)
• Implement the practical actions identified in the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services to recognise, support and sustain the vital work of unpaid carers. • In line with the roles agreed to in the short term, government and providers will:
• > develop career structures and pathways within aged care and across care and community services sectors;
• > build the skills, capability and knowledge of the workforce to enable flexibility and responsiveness in providing care for consumers; and
• > make use of digital and electronic supports for the workforce to improve productivity and consumer choice, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.
Long term (3-4 years)
• Implement the practical actions identified in the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services to recognise, support and sustain the vital work of unpaid carers.
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The Australian Government is committed to the quality of care of older people and considers the health, safety and welfare of aged care recipients a high priority. As part of reforms to the aged care system, the government is developing an end-to-end, market-based system with the sector, where competition and ultimately the consumer, drives quality.
21 April 2022
Aged Care Roadmap... What to Expect...
Home care providers do need to be aware of this upcoming change...
Improved Payment Arrangements for Home Care
07 October 2020
The changes to how we pay home care subsidies and supplements to providers will occur in 2 phases. Instead of paying the total in advance, we will pay in arrears for services delivered. We will hold unspent funds for care recipients. This is in line with other Government-funded programs.
What has already changed?
The way the Australian Government pays Home Care Packages Program subsidies and supplements to providers hs changed.
Instead of paying the full subsidy and supplements in advance each month, we will pay in arrears for services delivered. We will make changes in 2 phases. This will not affect care recipients' subsidy entitlements.
Phase 1 – 1 February 2021
In phase 1, we will pay home care subsidies in arrears each month. This is planned to begin on 1 February 2021.
We will continue to pay the full amount, regardless of the services provided in the past month. Providers will continue to hold unspent funds on behalf of their care recipients. There will be no change to how they manage unspent funds. *
* Unspent funds are the total amount of subsidy and fees you have received on behalf of a person that have not been spent.
Phase 2 – 1 September 2021
In phase 2, subject to legislation passing, the payments will be for actual services provided. The Australian Government will hold any unspent Commonwealth funds. These funds will continue to be available to care recipients when needed.
This is planned to begin on 1 September 2021.
Why are these changes important?
These changes align home care with other Government-funded programs like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), as well as modern business practices.
These changes will move the responsibility for holding care recipients’ Australian Government paid portion of unspent funds from the provider to the Australian Government.
This will reduce the prudential risk in home care over time, and improve protections for care recipients’ home care funds as the program grows. These changes are better suited to the service delivery, consumer-directed care nature Home Care Packages Program.
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The Australian Government is investing $550 million into services for carers.
New services include face to face counselling, planning assistance and financial packages.
If you support a family member or friend who has a disability, mental health condition, chronic health condition, terminal illness, or is frail aged, then these free services are for you.
Wellways is your first point of contact for Carer Gateway services.
Accessing carer services
How to access these services:
Our Carer Gateway team is available 6am-10pm, 7 days a week.
To register for services, call 1800 422 737 or visit www.carergateway.gov.au for more information.
Emergency respite is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1800 422 737.
Carers can also request a call back.
It’s our job to keep you informed of the expanded Carer Services, when the services will be available and how you will access the services.
Wellways Australia is your first point of contact for all Australian Government funded carer services across Queensland, South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains.
If you live in any of these areas, register your interest in accessing support.
“Since April, we have introduced a new service delivery model designed by carers, for carers to help them get the support they need early, before reaching crisis point. We are also providing demand driven funding for carers to access respite when they need it,” Minister Ruston said.
Under this new model, funding earmarked for respite will increase from the existing $44 million allocation to $65 million in the first year, increasing to $77 million in year five.
Existing service provider funding will be extended until 31 May 2020 to ensure continuity of support to carers during the important transition to the new Carer Gateway service providers."
Since 6 April 2020, the new Australia-wide network of regional Carer Gateway service providers have given carers access to:
- carer support and planning
- in-person and phone-based coaching, counselling and in person peer support
- information and advice
- targeted financial support packages with a focus on employment, education, respite and transport
- access to emergency crisis support
- assistance with navigating relevant, local services available to carers through federal, state and local government and non-government providers, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), My Aged Care and palliative care.
Your current carer services:
Carers can continue to access support through their current service providers until the new Carer Gateway Service Providers start delivery services in April 2020.
Useful links
- Carer Gateway https://carergateway.gov.au/
- About Wellways Australia https://wellways.org/about-us
- Dementia Australia website https://dementia.org.au/
General community services assist you to stay at home and remain independent:
Wellways Australia, offers a range of services, including shopping, domestic assistance, personal care, transport and general nursing. Generally these services are funded by a government or aged care package, though some people choose to pay for the services themselves.
Services generally last from one to two hours and may take place on several days during the week or, in some cases, seven days per week. Services include meal preparation, personal care and domestic assistance.
Wellways recognises that having carers come into your home can be awkward so we strive to provide consistent carers and roster staff of your choice. Community services are always by appointment to ensure that your home life is disrupted as little as possible.
https:/wellways.org/our-services/home-and-personal-care-services
For more information, please contact us on 1300 111 400.
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by Judy Skatssoon July 7, 2021
POSTED INAGED CARE Concerns raised about assurance reviews
Home care providers will be subject to “assurance reviews” for the first time under new laws introduced in response to the aged care royal commission.
Sean Rooney The reviews are designed to encourage “continuous improvement”, but legal experts say they give the government the power to demand information about almost all aspects of a provider’s business and could lead to increased compliance action and more sanctions against home care providers.
LASA has also raised concern about the breadth of the provision and says the reviews are unlikely to have any effect on home care pricing apart from adding to the administrative burden.
Up to 500 home care providers each year will face assurance reviews from November, aged care services minister Richard Colbeck says.
“The reviews will examine fees and charges applied by home care providers to ensure senior Australians are not facing unjustified costs,” Mr Colbeck said.
Broad powers to investigate:
The new laws enable the department of health to conduct assurance reviews of approved providers to ensure the “effective and efficient” delivery of home care.
The review will be able to look at:
- how providers are using subsidies and calculating charges
- the nature and type of home care provided
- how providers are structuring their financial accounting for home care services
- the nature and type of providers’ dealings with clients.
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Aged care minister Ken Wyatt has written to home care providers reminding them they will be required to participate in a pricing comparison table on the My Aged Care website from mid year.
It is also mandatory for them to publish their pricing schedules on the portal’s Home Care Package Service Finder.
The moves are designed to increase transparency and help older Australians better assess costs so they can make an informed choice about their home provider, Mr Wyatt told Aged and Community Services Australia.
New standardised home care pricing Schedule:
To improve transparency for senior Australians, all home care providers will need to publish their pricing information in a new standardised pricing comparability Schedule (the Schedule) on the My Aged Care Service Finder.
"Another key source of confusion is around the mandated requirement by government that all approved providers must publish the prices they charge for certain common care and services in a standard format on My Aged Care, she says."
“Administration and Case Management are no longer separate categories and the model of charging a percentage of a home care package for these is no longer possible,” Ms Poulos says."
“There are two new categories – Package Management and Care Management – that have very clear definitions and requirements to validate charges made to a consumer’s package of care."
“Providers will also be required to attach to the Notice a copy of their full price list or a link to the full price list on their own website."
“Government has indicated that compliance with the new legislation will be monitored for ‘reasonable’ charges however there is no real guidance about what would be considered as ‘reasonable’.“
02 July 2019
Since 1 July 2019 home care providers have needed to publish their prices in a new standardised home care pricing Schedule on the My Aged Care website. This transition to the new pricing structure may be an opportune time to analyse their current pricing policies and determine if they (the Provider) need to change their prices.
The Schedule will provide information on the common services and costs under a home care package.
This will better support senior Australians to understand and compare home care pricing information, and make a more informed decision about which provider is best placed to deliver your care.
01 July 2019
STEP 1: https://myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider
STEP 2: Click on "Help at Home"
STEP 3: Select your Suburb
STEP 4: Click on "Home Support Services" to get a list of Providers
OR “Home Care Package” Level 1, 2, 3 or 4
You can then click on the Providers name for their details
OR Just click on COMPARE – up to 3 at a time
and COMPARE ONE PROVIDER $ AGAINST ANOTHER... Just scroll down.
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for Carers Payments and services if you provide care for someone with a severe disability, illness or a frail and aged adult.
Go to https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/carers
This site has been Extraordinarily well thought out. Go in and just click on whatever information/services you are looking for. This is just a small sample...
- Disability and carers
- Education
- Employment
- Family and domestic violence
- Health
- Housing
- Legal services
- Mental health
- Money
- Older Australians
- Raising Children
- Relationships
- Separated parents
- Travelling
The Australian Government has rolled out a range of new early-intervention services and supports for carers in late 2019. These new services have been designed based on evidence that shows the best way to help carers is to help them early in their caring role, increase their skills and reduce the strain of caring. These new services can help you get the support you need before reaching crisis point. New services to give you support and skills New services are currently being designed and tested with carers.
Since July 2019, you were able to get:
Peer support to assist you to connect with and learn from other carers. This online community forum will help carers share their stories, knowledge and experience with others.
Self-guided coaching to support and teach you skills useful to your caring situation. The coaching modules will cover a range of topics and can be completed at your own pace online.
A new phone-based counselling service to provide short term emotional and psychological support.
Practical skills courses to improve your general skills and knowledge are being gradually rolled out. You can explore the first two modules, Dealing with stress, and Effective communication techniques now on carergateway.gov.au.
Improvements includes the introduction of new early-intervention services and a new service delivery model that will provide carers with a support system that is easy to navigate and provides a consistent experience across the country.
New services will give you support and skills -Carer Gateway.
Since July 2019, you are able to get:
- Phone counselling – you can talk with a counsellor over the phone if you are feeling stressed or if you need advice
- Online connection to other carers – you can join the carer community forum to be part of an online community and get support and advice from other carers
- Self-guided coaching – you can work through interactive coaching sessions at your own pace to help you in your caring role
- Skills courses – you can use our online education resources to learn new skills and strategies for looking after someone and looking after yourself.
CARER GATEWAY -
Carer Gateway Counselling Service.
Caring for a loved one is important work. Some days caring brings great joy, but some days it can be lonely or a little overwhelming. No matter how you feel today, there is a counselling professional just a phone call away.
The Carer Gateway Counselling Service is a free service for carers. Each weekday, from 8am to 6pm, our professional counsellors are waiting to talk through the concerns you have and how you feel about your carer role. To learn more about how counselling helps carers, watch their video “Introducing the Carer Gateway Counselling Service” on https://counselling.carergateway.gov.au/s/
To use the Carer Gateway Counselling Service, simply select ‘Request a Callback’, fill in your details and they will call you back within one business day. You can also call 1800 422 737 and Select Option 1 to speak to our team.
If you are distressed and need immediate support, please select the ‘Urgent Help’ tab for details of 24 hour crisis services.
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Since 6 April 2020, the full suite of services will be available using a network of Carer Gateway regional service providers.
Wellways is the lead agency in the delivery of the new carer services in Queensland and the NSW areas of South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains and supported by our consortia partners Dementia Australia, Little Dreamers, North-West Rural Health and Selectability.
New services available:
- Carer support planning — to help you identify what areas of support will best help you in your caring role and to develop a simple plan for ongoing support and service.
- Assistance with navigating federal, state and local government and non-government schemes, including the NDIS, My Aged Care and palliative care.
- Tailored financial packages — either a one-off payment for an item to assist in your caring role, or ongoing practical help, such as respite or transport, over a twelve-month period.
- In-person counselling — for one-on-one support with a professional counsellor if you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
- In-person peer support — where you can meet with people in similar caring situations and share your stories, knowledge and experience.
- In-person coaching – where you can work one-on-one with a qualified coach to gain skills and resilience to help you as a carer. You can reflect on how you are going, how you would like things to be, and how you might take steps towards making things happen.
- Emergency respite care – to make sure the person you care for will be looked after if an urgent or unplanned event stops you from being there.
These new services can help you to reduce stress, improve wellbeing and get the support you need before reaching crisis point.
The individual’s coping style to psychosocial stress impacts the stress-induced pathological changes and the risk of psychological disorders such as depression.
For an in-depth understanding of Mental Health topics - A - Z.
7 Carer Coping Skills and Planning tips for those Special Occasions
Those Special Occasions/Celebrations are a challenging time for Carers, for many it can be overwhelming, stressful with mixed emotions such as anxiety, love and sadness. Some family members that you don’t often see may find it difficult to understand the complexities of a mental illness, which could lead to loved ones feeling rejected.
NDIS and other services you can access
- Learn about the other government supports and services that can help you achieve your goals. These services are available to all Australians and include:
- health,
- education,
- employment,
- transport,
- aged care,
- justice and
- housing.
- Watch this video to find out more.
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Budget 2018-19: how the sector reacted
More packages, more choice ($1.6b for 14,000 additional high-level home care packages + 6000 already announced in the second half of 2017.)
Other announcements included making available 13,500 residential aged care places and 775 short term restorative care places, with $60 million capital investment to support new places, and providing increased flexibility of funding for residential beds or home care packages by combining both programs since July 1, 2018.
The Government also announced in-principle support for putting residential aged care places in the hands of consumers.
COTA welcomed this and pushed for a specific date for the change at latest by next year’s Budget. “Until then with residential care allocated to providers, not in response to consumer demand, older Australians still do not have the ability to choose their nursing home, and good providers are restrained from responding to consumer preferences,” Yates said.
Navigating aged care
The Government will spend $7.4 million over two years to trial Integrated Consumer Supports, including help for older Australians to navigate aged care.
This will include 30 aged care information hubs to provide locally targeted information, 20 community hubs where members support each other in navigating aged care and a dozen specialist positions in consumer-focused organisations and the Department of Human Services to offer additional support.
Dementia Australia chief executive Maree McCabe said the peak was particularly pleased to note funding to assist people seeking information about aged care to make decisions that are right for them.
Palliative care ($32.8 million over 3 years for extra palliative care in residential aged care)
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Update on quality standards
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission 1800 550 552 regarding a Commonwealth-subsidised residential or home-based aged care service
https://agedcarequality.gov.au/about-us
This one-stop shop, combines the former Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and the Aged Care Complaints Commission to monitor aged care quality and handle consumer complaints, thus strengthening the focus on consumers, streamlines regulation, supports better engagement with consumers and providers, and promotes transparency.
The new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission began on January 1st, 2019.
Who do the Act and Rules apply to?
- Approved providers of residential aged care services, home care services and short-term restorative care services.
- Service providers of Commonwealth-funded aged care services (this includes Commonwealth Home Support Programme and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Care Program (NATSIFACP) services).
What changes can services and providers expect?
The new Rules look quite different due to the combined functions under the Act. However, while the Rules have combined a number of previously separate legislative instruments, the core processes are preserved.
26 June 2019
Factsheets & FAQs
Aged Care - Flexible
Aged Care – Home and Community
Aged Care – Residential
Assessing services
It has a budget of almost $300 million over four years, employing dozens of additional senior compliance officers. The new Commission will immediately absorb the roles of the current Aged Care Complaints Commissioner and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and, from January 2020, also take over the Department of Health's aged-care compliance responsibilities.
The next hearing will be held in Adelaide from Monday 18 March. It will focus on home care and the community. The following round, focusing on quality, safety and dementia, will be held in Sydney on 6 May.
Key Changes under the new Commission Act and Rules.
The new commissioners of the Royal Commission in to Aged Care Quality and Safety has written to the nation’s top 100 aged care operators, asking them to self-report on details of their operations. The request for information is the first step in the Royal Commission’s information gathering process. The deadline for providing information is January. Smaller operators will also be contacted, and will be given a later deadline.
The letters mark what will be a huge information-gathering process involving every aged care facility in Australia, and also begins a process of review for all operators of their own individual systems and processes.
08 January 2019
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To get ready for the home care changes ahead, the Aged Care Roadmap, future care at home discussion paper and recent review of aged care reforms, offer a good base for providers to start, writes Lorraine Poulos. Providers of home care services, both private and not-for-profit, have been asking me what they can be doing to prepare themselves for the changes that are ahead in the sector.
Some are prepared and have done business case scenarios whilst others are playing a ‘wait and see’ game. The Aged Care Roadmap, the future care at home discussion paper and recent Legislated Review of Aged Care 2017 provide a good base for providers to commence planning for change and opportunities. In the May budget, the government also announced changes to funding arrangements for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). This included new funding conditions to provide a greater focus on activities that support independence and wellness and provide more choice for consumers.
The Aged Care Roadmap sets out a number of the future directions, including:
- A seamless aged care system that is market based and consumer driven, with access based on assessed need
- Seamless movement between home-based and residential care with true consumer choice of care and provider across the spectrum.
- A system where supply is uncapped (this will be monitored by government to ensure funding allocation is adhered to)
- Removing the distinction between care at home and residential care, creating a single aged care system – agnostic as to where care is received.
There are nine destinations outlined in the Aged Care Roadmap. I would like to focus on destination six – ‘Who Provides Care?’ as I think it is very important for CHSP providers to keep this in mind when considering their future. Recently the process for becoming an approved provider has been streamlined resulting in new entrants into the HCP market.
Looking ahead, do be aware that it is the Government's intention to integrate the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), and Home Care Packages (HCP) program into a single care at home program from 1 July 2020. In the 2019-20 Budget the Australian Government announced that funding for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will be extended from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2022.
The number of CHSP providers is still controlled by government, and as we move to a combined CHSP/HCP program in 2020, it is not likely that any new providers will be given grants to provide CHSP leading up to this time.
The desired outcome when it comes to ‘Who provides care?’ according to the roadmap is:
- A single registration scheme
- A staged approach to registration depending on scope of practice
- Mutual recognition of similar registration and accreditation systems
- Multiple operators with the objective of driving competition, innovation and consumer responsiveness
- A desired goal is efficiency and value for money for the community
Note: There is no financial assistance officially available for services provided through the CHSP. You have to pay a contribution towards your services. If you are struggling to pay, we suggest talking to your service provider to see if you can negotiate a cheaper rate, although they are under no obligation to provide this.
According to the Roadmap, providers need to be an incorporated entity to be registered with government to receive consumers’ government contributions. In a nutshell, all CHSP and home care providers will become ‘care at home’ registered providers. Some examples of registration types referred to in the Roadmap are:
- short-term restorative care
- care co-ordination/case management
- clinical and personal care
- services with an accommodation component; and
- financial services (holding payments in trust).
Becoming an Approved Provider
Page last updated: 22 January 2020
https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/aged-care/providing-aged-care-services/before-providing-aged-care-services
Before applying
- your organisation must be incorporated
- your organisation must be able to demonstrate how it is suitable to provide aged care
- your organisation must not have any disqualified individuals as key personnel
- you must apply using the approved form
Criteria for approval
The Government is committed to increasing choice for all aged care consumers. As part of the Increasing Choices in Home Care reforms, the suitability criteria for becoming an approved provider has been consolidated from 54 mandatory criteria to six key areas:
- an applicant’s experience;
- understanding of responsibilities as a provider;
- systems in place to meet its responsibilities;
- financial management and methods;
- conduct as a provider;
- any other matters.
The changes strengthen the focus on the capacity of the applicant as a whole, including its systems and processes, to deliver quality care and services. There is also less focus on an organisation’s key personnel, who may change regularly. In the near future an online smart form will be made available to make it even easier to apply to become an approved provider of aged care.
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This is just a short example of what you can expect in the next 1 to 6 years. Do read the whole Report at:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/aged-care-roadmap
• How do consumers prepare for and engage with their aged care?
• How are eligibility and care needs assessed?
• How are consumers with different needs supported?
• How do we make dementia core business throughout the system?
• What care is available?
• Who provides care?
• Who pays?
• How will the formal and informal workforce be supported?
• How will quality be achieved?
and on Page 9:
Since April 2020
• Allow home care consumers choice to receive home care payments directly or to direct payments to third parties of choice (e.g. service provider/s or care coordinator).
• Monitoring of unmet demand and supply patterns to help inform timing and sequencing of uncapping supply, with a decision to be made in 3–5 years.
• No ACAR for residential places (funding follows consumer).
• Home Care Package and Commonwealth Home Support Programme combine to form an integrated care at home programme (the second stage of these home care reforms, due to be introduced from July 2018, will integrate the Home Care Packages Program and the Commonwealth Home Support Program into one single home care program. This will simplify the way that home care services are delivered and funded).
• There will be:
• > predominantly individualised funding that follows the consumer;
• > additional government assistance where there is insufficient market response; and
• > block funding (e.g. grants to providers) where considered most appropriate/efficient.
• Some of the key issues to be considered in the development of an integrated care at home programme include:
• > eligibility and assessment;
• > linkage of funding to consumer needs;
• > user contributions and fees;
• > requirements for service providers;
• > balance between individualised funding and block funding;
• > implications for quality, complaints and compliance processes;
• > interface with other programmes, e.g. National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), health services and programmes administered by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs; and
• > change management and transitional arrangements.
• Providers will review and adapt their business models to respond to consumer preferences under an integrated care at home programme.
My Aged Care system and process overviews for service providers
Page last updated: 22 January 2020
An overview of the steps that providers of aged care services follow, with links (where available) to guidance information on each step.
https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/my-aged-care/using-my-aged-care/my-aged-care-for-service-providers
• A consistent national approach to prioritising access to care at home developed in consultation with the aged care sector.
• Short-term Restorative Care (STRC) places continue to be allocated.
• Review Short-term Restorative Care (STRC) and Transition Care Programme (TCP) policy frameworks in line with how they sit as part of or alongside a single subsidy system.
Long term (4–6 years)
• Seamless movement between home based and residential care with true consumer choice of care and provider across the spectrum.
• Uncap supply.
• Remove distinction between care at home and residential care, creating a single aged care system — agnostic as to where care is received.
• Implement outcomes of the review of the Short-term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme and Transition Care Programme (TCP).
What needs to be done?
Short term through 2016 – 17. Page 11.
For both accommodation and everyday living costs (residential care only) and care and support:
• > Financial modelling of future cost to consumers, providers and government under various scenarios, including consumer fee scenarios.
• >Determine the market informed price that government is prepared to pay (through the 2016–17 Legislated Review or other process including Aged Care Funding Authority (ACFA)).
• > Identify and assess options for securing the development of affordable home equity release and other financial products to facilitate consumer contributions.
• > Monitoring of impacts of fees arrangements by ACFA.
• > Change official aged care regulatory concepts and language away from ‘subsidies to providers’ to ’government contributions for consumers’.
• > ACFA to report on funding, financing and pricing issues to inform the 2016–17 Legislated Review.
Accommodation
• Include rental income in means testing arrangements for residents who pay their accommodation costs by periodic payments to align with the arrangements that currently apply to those residents who pay via a lump sum.
• The 2016–17 Legislated Review considered:
• > the effectiveness of means testing arrangements for aged care services, including an assessment of an alignment of charges across residential care and home care services.
• > the effectiveness of arrangements for regulating prices for aged care accommodation.
The Bond Guarantee Scheme
• ACFA project to examine alternative arrangements to the Bond Guarantee Scheme to inform the 2016–17 Legislated Review.
• The 2016–17 Legislated Review will consider the effectiveness of arrangements for protecting refundable deposits and accommodation bonds.
on Page 12:
Care and support
• ACFA project to consider cost neutral mechanisms to ensure access to care for supported residents.
• The 2016–17 Legislated Review will consider the effectiveness of means testing arrangements for aged care services, including an assessment of an alignment of charges across residential care and home care services.
Medium term (2–4 years)
For both accommodation and everyday living costs (residential care only) and care and support:
• New financial products available to support consumer choice (e.g. home equity release).
• Measures are in place to enable continued access to care and accommodation by vulnerable consumers (low means, special needs, people with dementia, as under the Aged Care Act 1997).
The Bond Guarantee Scheme
• Reform or replace the Bond Guarantee Scheme in response to the findings of the 2016–17 Legislated Review.
Care and support
• Integrate fee arrangements for Home Care and Commonwealth Home Support as part of the intended 2018 consolidation of the Home Care Packages Programme and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
Long term (4–6 years)
• Means test all income and all assets and treat them equally.
• Re-calibrate consumer contributions in line with capacity to pay.
• Ensure measures are in place to enable continued access to care and accommodation by vulnerable consumers.
Care and support
• Align consumer subsidies for care and support in residential with those for home care for people with the same assessed care needs.
What needs to be done?
Short term
• Development of the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services.
• Establish links between the National Carer Gateway and My Aged Care such that they complement each other.
• Clarify the roles of government and providers on workforce matters to enable a strong shared understanding of the workforce needs of the future and who is responsible for meeting them.
• Target the flexible funds to priorities designed to support the workforce in a changing industry and consumer landscape.
• Embed a strong performance culture in future grants rounds.
• Develop mechanisms to improve the quality of student placements in aged care, covering vocational and higher education.
• Leverage specific government programmes that will boost workforce supply.
• Utilise migration to improve workforce supply.
• Influence higher education to be more inclusive of aged care issues in courses (i.e. to include as mandatory content).
Medium term (3-4 years)
• Implement the practical actions identified in the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services to recognise, support and sustain the vital work of unpaid carers. • In line with the roles agreed to in the short term, government and providers will:
• > develop career structures and pathways within aged care and across care and community services sectors;
• > build the skills, capability and knowledge of the workforce to enable flexibility and responsiveness in providing care for consumers; and
• > make use of digital and electronic supports for the workforce to improve productivity and consumer choice, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.
Long term (3-4 years)
• Implement the practical actions identified in the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services to recognise, support and sustain the vital work of unpaid carers.
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The Australian Government is committed to the quality of care of older people and considers the health, safety and welfare of aged care recipients a high priority. As part of reforms to the aged care system, the government is developing an end-to-end, market-based system with the sector, where competition and ultimately the consumer, drives quality.
21 April 2022