• A New Year full of promise

    A New Year full of promise

    2025 is set to be a significant year of change for the aged care sector.

    In July, the new human-rights based Aged Care Act will come into operation, together with strengthened aged care standards.

    At the same time, the Government will introduce the new Support at Home program to replace the existing system of Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care.

    According to Government projections, an additional 300,000 older people will need to be supported by 2034-35. The Support at Home program is critical if we are to meet this demand.

    This year, long term sustainability and the adequacy of the current funding regime continues to be a major area of focus, as the funding provided struggles to cover the cost of delivering services.

    The introduction of an independent pricing authority will bring this discrepancy to the attention of the government; however, it remains to be seen whether it will result in any increase in funding.

    Over summer, you may have spent time with older friends and relatives and noticed that daily tasks are becoming more difficult for some.

    Although accepting the need for support can be difficult, assistance with day-to-day tasks, such as cleaning, gardening, home maintenance and meal preparation, can help sustain quality of life, relationships, and the ability to continue with activities that bring joy. Some of these services may be funded by the Government, while private services are another option.

    I am of the view that using personal financial resources to support wellbeing is worth it. For people wishing to access aged care services, it is challenging to know how to navigate. There is a lot of misinformation out there, either from people with limited understanding of how the system works, or from people looking to profit. For example, simplistic price comparisons may be misleading, as they do not consider the full cost of a service.

    Aged care providers can be a great first point of contact, explaining what services are available, and what steps you need to take to access these.

    Older people deserve to age well, and we hope that the imminent Government reforms are a positive step in the right direction.

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