A new rights-based Aged Care Act
The times they are a-changin’
A new rights-based Aged Care Act comes into force from 1 July 2025.
There has been much discussion about the readiness of the sector, including the availability of sufficient details of the new legislation, the changes required to computer systems and the shortness of the transition period.
One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a new home care program called ‘Support at Home’.
Once the election is behind us, the next elected Government will need to undertake an urgent readiness assessment for the introduction of this new program, which is substantially different to the current system.
This review will identify what can be implemented by 1 July, and more importantly, what cannot. Priorities can then be set for implementation over a realistic timeframe.
While those working in the aged care sector have committed significant time in understanding the magnitude of the population projections and legislation changes that are coming into force over the next decade, for many people it may not be front of mind.
The population numbers are quite staggering.
Within the next decade the number of people aged over 85 is predicted to exceed one million people.
By 2035, only ten years away, every Baby Boomer will be aged over 70. The first Generation Xers will be turning 70.
The number of working adults will reduce as a proportion of the total population, putting more pressure on the aged care workforce.
To accommodate this new demand, the Government has announced the release of 300,000 new Support at Home packages over the next decade.
People will be asked to pay for services, where they have the means, while personal care will remain funded by the government.
Under the new Support at Home program there is an obligation on providers to share details of what a client will pay for themselves.
Given the scale of the change, it is imperative that the government also play a lead role in educating the public on what they can expect to pay in the future.
To date, there has been minimal broad public debate on this issue.
To put it in perspective, in only six years, Bob Dylan, the voice of a generation, will celebrate his 90th birthday.
The times certainly are a-changin’.