What we know about Barney
- Barney runs a business from home, unrelated to aged care.
- Barney has extra time on his hands and sometimes cooks meals for his elderly neighbour to help her out.
- Barney is not affiliated with or registered with an aged care provider.
Associated provider consideration under the Act
- Barney assists his elderly neighbor informally and is considered an unpaid carer.
- Barney is not regulated under the new Act for helping his neighbour.
- Barney is not an aged care worker and therefore will not be regulated under the worker screening requirements for aged care workers.
Section 11(4) and 11 (6) of the Aged Care Act 2024 define an aged care worker and an associated provider.
What this means for Barney
The new Act will benefit Barney through:
- Defining regulated care: The Act distinguishes between informal help and regulated care, ensuring community support remains accessible and easy to engage with.
- Training and support: Publicly available eLearning modules and resources help carers outside the regulated system, such as family caregivers or community volunteers, understand the Act, apply its principles in practice, and support older people’s rights. This mean Barney can also learn best practices for supporting older people’s rights and safety.
- Barney can access emotional and practical assistance for carers, including training and counselling, through the Carer Gateway.
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