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Living Longer. Living Better.

Living Longer. Living Better. Aged Care Reform Update No 2 - 25 July 2012

Welcome to the second edition of the Aged Care Reform Update. This newsletter will provide regular updates from the Department of Health and Ageing on the progress of the implementation of the Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package.

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Changes to the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI)

On 1 July 2012, as part of implementing the Improving the ACFI measure, a range of changes to the ACFI came into effect, including changes to the scores for Activities of Daily Living question 3; and changes to the Complex Health Care domain.

These changes are intended to bring the future growth in funding back to the long-term trend rate and to redirect funding for other aged care reforms. The Government is increasing funding for residential care from $8.806 billion in 2011-12 to $10.945 billion in 2015-16. Under these reforms, average care subsidies are projected to grow by 2.7% per annum (above indexation) between 2012-13 and 2016-17.

The Department will establish a monitoring group including aged care providers, consumers and clinicians to make sure the changes are working as intended.

Further information about these changes can be found at the Aged Care Funding Instrument Information page.

Changes to aged care legislation to recognise LGBTI

As part of the Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Australians will now be treated as a special needs group. Changes to the Allocation Principles 1997 mean that from 1 July 2012 the needs of LGBTI people will be specifically considered by community and residential aged care providers who work with this group.

It is important that sexuality or gender identity are recognised and supported in delivering high quality aged care services. Under the Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package, the Commonwealth will provide $192 million to support initiatives for older people with diverse needs. This includes $2.5 million to support staff training that is sensitive to the specific needs of older LGBTI Australians.

Aged Care Strategic Workforce Advisory Group

As mentioned in the first edition of the newsletter, Commissioner Anne Gooley from Fair Work Australia has been appointed the Chair of the Aged Care Strategic Workforce Advisory Group (SWAG). The SWAG membership also comprises a range of representatives from the aged care sector and relevant unions. The SWAG will oversee the development and implementation of the aged care workforce Compact.

The first meeting of the SWAG was held on 18 June 2012 and it has since met again on 6 July in Melbourne. Members have indicated their support and commitment to working collaboratively in order to address the issues facing aged care workers. A third meeting of the SWAG is scheduled for 24 July 2012 and an update on the meetings will be provided in the next edition of the Aged Care Reform Update.

Launch of Commonwealth HACC Program

From 1 July 2012 the Australian Government assumed operational responsibility for Home and Community Care (HACC) services for older Australians in most states and territories (except Victoria and Western Australia where current co-funding arrangements will continue) under the new Commonwealth HACC Program. State and territory governments will continue to fund and administer HACC services for people under the age of 65 and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people under 50.

The new HACC arrangements are part of the foundations that will support the effective implementation of the Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package. Helping older Australians to stay at home is one of the key focuses of the reforms, with $955.4 million being allocated to this goal, including $75.3 million toward the establishment of a comprehensive basic Home Support program from 1 July 2015. The Home Support program will combine all programs and services currently providing basic home support, including the Commonwealth HACC Program.

Further information about the Commonwealth HACC Program is available on the Department of Health and Ageing website.

National Aged Care Conference 2012

The 2012 National Aged Care Conference will be held on 6 and 7 August at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia. The conference will bring together the aged care sector to share ideas in the context of the Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package. Day one of the conference will showcase the aged care reform package, with day two to focus on aged care assessment in the context of the package.

The conference will explore key themes of the aged care reform package, including access, choice and control, quality, and wellness and re-ablement. Live video streaming of part of the conference will be available online for those who are unable to be there in person. More details will be available on the conference website in the coming weeks.

Further information about the conference is available from the conference website.
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