5.3: Residential access and quality

The 1997-1998 Portfolio Budget Statements, informs Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to portfolios outcomes and their objectives and targets including the agencies within the Health and Family Services portfolio.

In this section:

Budget Measures

Objective

Provide a framework for residential aged care which creates an equitable distribution of accessible and cost-effective forms of quality care appropriate to the needs of older people.

Priority outcomes

Distribution of and access to quality aged care services in line with identified needs in the community.
Implementation of the Structural Reform Package for Residential Aged Care.
A quality assurance and consumer rights framework ensuring that care standards are improved and the consumer supported.
Payments of subsidies are accurate and timely.

Strategies

Complete implementation of the Structural Reform Package for Residential Aged Care including:
- an accreditation based system of quality assurance;
- capital investment in improved building quality;
- a single resident classification system for residential care;
- better funding for people with dementia;
- secure passage of necessary legislation;
- complete redevelopment of computer payment systems;
- aligned funding and charging system for unified residential care (formerly Nursing Homes and Hostels); and
- reduced regulatory requirement on industry.
Explore reforms to improve aged care delivery between the States, Territories and the Commonwealth.
Approve new services within government target ratios of 90 residential and 10 community care package places per 1000 people aged 70 and over according to projections, matched to regional and other specific levels.
Help providers to deliver services appropriate to the needs of rural and remote communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and veterans.
Improve the capacity of aged care and other services to care for people with dementia through research, training and demonstration of best practice.
Implementation by 1 January 1998 of an accreditation based quality assurance system developed in partnership with the residential care industry and consumers.
Finalise 50 per cent of remaining validations of nursing home expenditure to end of financial year 1996-97.
Enhance and maintain computer payments systems in accordance with relevant policy and legislation.
Target quality assurance and classification monitoring resources through a risk management approach that ensures timely and decisive response to cases of poor performance.
Ensure an effective complaints and advocacy service operates in each State and Territory to give a range of assistance to older people to promote their quality of life and care outcomes.

Performance indicators and targets

Effectiveness

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Extent to which the common classification and funding scale for residential care reflects the range of resident care needs (Priority Outcomes 1,2; Strategies 1,2,3,4,5)	New scale provides continuum of residential care funding to meet client needs including those with dementia	HFS survey and evaluation Annual
Progress towards Government target ratio of 90 residential care places per 1000 persons aged 70 and over (Priority Outcome 1; Strategy 2)	Progress towards targets on track with projection	HFS data Australian Bureau of Statistics(ABS) population data Annual
Waiting period for clients entering residential care (Priority Outcome 1; Strategies 3,4,6)	Reduction on previous year	ACAT surveys Annual
Percentage of facilities found to be non-compliant which after six months either comply or no longer operate (Priority Outcomes 1,3; Strategy 3)	75 per cent of facilities	Aged Care Standards Agency Annual

Efficiency

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Average cost to Commonwealth per place by State and Territory and service type (Priority Outcome 3; Strategy 8)	Cost increases no greater than inflation plus increased dependency growth	HFS payment system
Proportion of late payments (Priority Outcome 4; Strategy 8)	A reduction on previous years	HFS payment system
Dependency levels of residents in residential care as measured by the single classification instrument (Priority Outcomes 1,2; Strategies 1,3,6)	Dependency levels of existing residents translated to new instrument in line with projections	HFS payment system

Quality

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Assess the physical standards of residential aged care facilities (Priority Outcome 3; Strategies 3,9,10)	Inspection of at risk homes by June 1997 and balance prior to accreditation	HFS data on certified and accredited facilities Annual
Client satisfaction with services provided as measured by ad hoc evaluation studies (Priority Outcomes 1,3; Strategies 3,4)	Services assessed as high quality	Client survey as part of evaluation of structural reform package Annual
Number of managers and staff of aged care services trained in dementia care (Priority Outcome 1; Strategy 5)	60 per cent trained by end of 1997-98	Data from Training providers Annual

Equity

Indicator

Target

Information source and reporting frequency

Level of service use by, and level of specifically targeted service provision for, older people with dementia, older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, older indigenous people and older people in rural and remote areas as compared with levels in the general aged population

(Priority Outcomes 1, 2; Strategies 3,4,9)

Provision appropriate to proportion in population

HFS payment system

Australian Bureau of Statistics(ABS) population data

Annual

Residential and Community Care Packages places and units of residential respite care services provision per 1000 persons aged 70 and over by planning region

(Priority Outcome 1; Strategy 2)

Equitable distribution between planning regions in line with national benchmark of 90 residential places (including two respite places) and 10 community care packages per 1000 persons aged 70 and over by the year 2011