Aged Care Insite Issue 111 | Feb-March 2019 | Seite 8

news
New funding pledge
Sector welcomes funds but says
more needs to be done.
“It is the core funding arrangements for the sector, and how the
funding tool is able to respond to the true cost of care, that has
By Dallas Bastian and AAP
been our biggest ongoing concern,” Rooney said, adding any trial
should look at staffing models to ensure a better understanding of
necessary staffing and skills mix.
A number of peak bodies (including COTA Australia, LASA
rime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that
and Dementia Australia) welcomed the announcement
every Australian living in residential aged care
that the government would bring forward funding
will have an extra $1800 spent on their
for 10,000 extra Home Care Packages but added
care over the next 18 months, with $320 million
that much more needs to be done to tackle the
set to be rolled out to residential facilities.
inflated home care wait list.
Scott Morrison’s
COTA Australia was glad about the extra
Labor aged care spokesperson Julie Collins
election eve
$320 million, but added it wished the
said the latest funding did not make up for
funding was tied to better staffing.
what the Opposition says has been a series
announcement
“It is disappointing there are no conditions
of cuts from the sector under the past five
on aged care
attached,” chief executive Ian Yates said.
years of Coalition government.
“I expect many of the issues and
“Scott Morrison’s election eve
funding is too
unsatisfactory practices that will be raised
announcement on aged care funding is too
little too late.
during the aged care royal commission … will be
little too late,” she said. “The waiting list for
attributed to inadequate staff numbers and poor
home care has grown to 127,000 older Australians,
staff training and development.
with many waiting more than a year to receive the
“While inadequate funding is never a defence for
care they have been approved for.”
unsafe practices, it is an issue in achieving the highest level
The funding package includes:
of quality care to ensure the dignity, respect, autonomy and
• $282.4 million for 10,000 Home Care Packages across all levels
citizenship of all nursing home residents.
• A $320 million general subsidy boost in 2018–19 for residential
“While the government has not quarantined its extra funding to
aged care services
improve staffing, as we argued for, I would urge all providers to
• A $4.2 million mandatory national aged care quality indicator
use it for that purpose and not to generate extra profits.
program
“We will be keeping an eagle eye on this.”
• $7.7 million to enhance the safety, quality and integrity of home care
On top of the residential and home care funding tied up in the
• $35.7 million to increase home care supplements for dementia
announcement was $7.7 million to improve the quality and safety
and cognition and veterans
regime for home care and the trial of a new method of funding
• A $4.6 million trial of a new residential care funding tool to
residential care.
replace the Aged Care Funding Instrument
Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) chief executive
• A new $7.4 million business advisory service for both residential
Sean Rooney said the announcement of the trial’s funding
and home care providers to help them improve their operations
acknowledges that the current approach is inadequate.
and share best practice.  ■
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