Living Longer. Living Better.
Living Longer. Living Better – Aged Care Reform Package
Overview of the Aged Care Reform Package
Printable PDF version of Overview (PDF 39 KB)
May 2012
The Government is building a better, fairer and more nationally consistent aged care system.
The Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package provides $3.7 billion over five years.
$955.4 million to help people to stay at home through:
- an integrated Home Support program
- more Home Care packages with new levels of packages
- greater choice and control through Consumer Directed Care available across all new Home Care packages
- fairer means-testing arrangements for Home Care packages
$660.3 million to deliver better residential aged care through:
- more residential care facilities to be built
- supporting the viability of services in regional, rural and remote areas
- trialing Consumer Directed Care in residential aged care
- strengthening means testing for residential care by combining the current income and asset tests
- establishing a new Aged Care Financing Authority
- improving the Aged Care Funding Instrument
$39.8 million to support consumers and research through:
- empowering consumers through advocacy
- better connecting the lonely and socially isolated
- improving the knowledge of older people’s care and support needs
- complex health care
- multidisciplinary care
- service innovation
- a new Dementia Supplement in home and residential care
- improved hospital and primary care
- increased focus on people with younger onset dementia
- reducing the time between symptoms and diagnosis
- more aged care places for Indigenous Australians
- supporting veterans with mental health problems
- training staff to be sensitive to the needs of diverse groups
- helping homeless older people stay in the community
- a new Aged Care Reform Implementation Council to drive the development and implementation of aged care reform
- establishing a new Aged Care Financing Authority
- a new Gateway to aged care services to help older Australians be more informed and better move through the system
- streamlined quality regulation
- increased powers to handle consumer complaints
Further Information
For more information please visit: www.agedcareaustralia.gov.au
Media releases
- Delivering More Aged Care Places For Eastern Melbourne
- $25 Million for accommodation for aged and disadvantaged
- Christmas message – remember to check in on your elderly relatives and neighbours
- 6,500 more aged care places for older Australians
- Boost for Home and Community Care in Western Australia
Program/Initiatives
- Better HealthCare Connections: Aged Care Multidisciplinary Care Coordination and Advisory Service Program
- Better Health Care Connections: Models for Short Term, More Intensive Health Care for Aged Care Recipients Program
- Encouraging Better Practice in Aged Care (EBPAC)
- Getting assistance from an SDAP Panel Member
- Service Development Assistance Panel Program Glossary
Publications
- 2012 National Aged Care Workforce Census and Survey – The Aged Care Workforce, 2012 – Final Report
- Australian Government Directory of Services for Older People 2012/13
- Living Longer. Living Better. Aged Care Reform Package (technical document)
- Living Longer. Living Better.
- Australian Government Response to the Productivity Commission's Caring for Older Australians Report
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