news
Allied health retains support
Government appears to soften approach to proposed allied health funding changes .
By Elise Hartevelt
The Nine Papers recently reported that the Federal Government was considering cutting back on funding allied health services that were deemed to be “ not necessarily the most clinically appropriate ”.
The reported plan was met with concern from allied health providers , including the Australian Physiotherapy Association , which argued the planned change would “ ultimately lead to poorer quality of care for our most vulnerable people ”.
However , in a conversation with Aged Care Insite APA national president Scott Willis said the APA had since contacted Minister Hunt ’ s office and learned that the letter mentioned in the article was not representative of the revised funding plan .
“ They did actually say that we ’ ll be in the new funding models ,” Willis told ACI .
“ There ’ ll be provision for allied health services . They ’ re very supportive of the important role physiotherapists and allied health play in aged care .
“ We ’ ve had the Royal Commission , [ we ’ ve had health reform process in place ] and the recommendations are quite clear that they should provide allied health
services that really support , restore and enable residents in aged care facilities and that add value to their care .”
The Royal Commission recommended that aged care residents “ receive allied health care appropriate to each person ’ s need ” and that “ the funding assigned to the older person includes an amount to meet any identified need for allied health care ”.
“ There ’ s a great concern for their quality of care and their safety within the aged care facilities ,” Willis pointed out .
“ I just don ’ t think that our most vulnerable , our people that have worked all their lives , deserve to have less care than anyone else . They need to have the most appropriate and best quality care .”
Willis said physiotherapists help strengthen older people ’ s mobility and balance , improve their physical and cognitive wellbeing , and help them regain their independence .
The APA says 63 per cent of people in residential aged care receive physiotherapy , over half of whom see their physiotherapist four times a week .
“ If you have a look at the type of residents that are in aged care , there are quite complex care needs , and I think physiotherapy is one profession that these complex patients can ’ t
“ We can do a
lot more than we ’ re currently allowed to .
do without ,” said Willis .
“ Allied health services – they can diagnose , they can treat , they can manage , they can prevent , they ’ ve got the medical background , they ’ ve been trained as specialists in this area .
“ We go through specific training programs that really stipulate the outline and management and care of aged care people .”
With the official Federal Government plan yet to be announced , Willis said he feared what would happen if there was a significant cut in funding for allied health specialists . “ It will come back onto the nurses and also the carers to provide the services that they ’ re not trained to provide , because there won ’ t be any allied health services in aged care facilities . “ We can do a lot more than we ’ re currently allowed to do because of the funding models , so the government needs to fund appropriate care , individualised , in the right setting by the appropriate person that can deliver that service at a quality rate and is backed up by evidence .
“ We ’ re just hoping that they follow through and make that happen ,” Willis said . ■
6 agedcareinsite . com . au