industry & policy
Reform review: sector reacts
The aged care sector’s peak bodies and
representatives respond to David Tune’s review
of the government’s aged care reforms.
By Dallas Bastian
T
he recommendations laid out in the recently tabled
Legislated Review of Aged Care 2017 must be carefully
considered and promptly acted upon by government, the
sector’s peak bodies and representatives have said.
Led by David Tune, former secretary of finance and current chair
of the Aged Care Sector Committee, the review examined the
Living Longer Living Better aged care reforms that stemmed from
recommendations made by the Productivity Commission in its
2011 report, Caring for Older Australians.
The resulting report includes 38 recommendations for future
aged care provision.
The government said it will consider all recommendations but
has already ruled out two.
They include recommendation 13, which holds that the
government include the full value of the owner’s home in the
means test for residential care when there is no protected person
in that home; and recommendation 15, which suggests that the
government abolish the annual and lifetime caps on income-
tested care fees in home care and means-tested care fees in
residential care.
Aged & Community Services Australia (ACSA) was disappointed
to see this move. Chief executive Pat Sparrow said by ruling out
these two financing options, the government is limiting its own
ability, as well as that of providers, to respond to the changing
needs of Australia’s rapidly ageing population.
Chief executive of Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) Sean
Rooney also expressed the peak body’s disappointment about
the government’s decision to rule out some recommendations
without due consideration. He said: “While LASA understands the
sensitivities of any potential changes to consumer contributions
12 agedcareinsite.com.au
for age services, the government’s approach to ruling out any
consideration of changes to lifetime caps and means tests
involving the family home shuts down much needed discussion
on how to fund the system now and into the future.”
Marking the release of the report, the government announced
initiatives in home care services and the My Aged Care system.
These included making available an additional 6000 home
care packages, and a $20 million investment in the My Aged Care
information system to improve public access, with a focus on rural,
regional and remote clients.
HOME CARE PACKAGES
COTA Australia’s chief executive, Ian Yates, said that improving
access to home care packages by increasing the number of
packages and rebalancing the mix of lower and higher packages,
including moving resources from residential to home care, is a
good move.
“The government has made a good start by rebalancing current
package levels to create more high care packages but needs to act
quickly on a more comprehensive solution.
“Obviously, what is needed is an increase in the number of
packages so no one, whether with high or low needs, misses out.
Now we know the extent of the problem, older Australians will
expect the government will focus on fixing it as soon as possible.”
LASA’s Rooney said while the additional home care packages
will ease the frustrations of many older Australians who are unable
to access appropriate services, the increase will not keep pace with
demand and a long-term solution must be found.
COTA also highlighted the recommendation to consider
transferring future funds from residential care to home care,
including a temporary release of unused or vacant residential care
funding into home care packages.
“This measure should receive early consideration, as there is no
overall shortage of residential care,” Yates said.
“However, it must be accompanied by placing residential care
entitlements in the hands of consumers and families.”