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Allied health concerns
Fears boost to nurse hours will cut allied health funding .
By Elise Hartevelt
The physiotherapy peak body fears the government ’ s promise to raise nursing hours in residential care will cut the budget allocated for allied health services .
The new AN-ACC funding model , set to replace the Aged Care Funding Instrument from October 1 , is expected to provide allied health services with a resident budget of roughly $ 225 per day .
Yet , the federal government is still to reveal the model ’ s precise figures and outlines .
National president of the Australian Physiotherapy Association , Scott Willis , worries Labor ’ s pledge to place 24 / 7 nurses in residential care will negatively affect funding promised to allied health .
“ We still haven ’ t got a real understanding of the AN-ACC funding and how it ’ s going to fit in with the care minutes the government have placed ,” he says .
“ We ’ re concerned that that will come from our allied health funding .
“ Especially with no boost to compensate for the increased Consumer Price Index ( CPI ) allowance in aged care , it will put another added barrier and possibly lack of funding for allied health .”
CPI , the percentage that measures household goods and service inflation , has risen by 5.2 per cent since March last year and is predicted to stay its course upward . While the government has said it will start subsidy indexation from July 1st ,
it anticipates the aged care figures to be well over $ 85,000 in 2022-23 – an increase of nearly 10 per cent per resident compared with the budget in 2021-22 .
Willis foreshadows higher living costs and services will have an adverse impact on residents ’ access to allied health .
Since AN-ACC ’ s model doesn ’ t specify how care homes spend money earmarked for residents , it may lead to facilities reducing allied health services to save costs .
“ We can ’ t just rely on one funding pool for one funding model ; both state and federal have their responsibilities ,” Scott says .
“ They need to get together and stop working as a silo .
“ All forms of government and bureaucracy need to work together and create a pathway in developing a model that provides what it was always supposed to be set up for – one that provides the best pathway for someone that ’ s ageing .
“ Physiotherapy can help prevent falls , offer restorative and incontinence care and address mobility issues .”
The service can keep people out of the hospital , which is the most expensive form of treatment for anyone to access , according to Willis .
Nevertheless , a 2018-19 survey by the Aged Care Royal Commission found that only 2 per cent of Home Care Package budgets was spent on allied health assistance .
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They need to get together and stop working as a silo .
Less than half of the residents had received fewer than five allied health services in a year .
Despite the Royal Commission recommendations , Willis says physiotherapy remains an under-used resource in residential care .
“ Physiotherapy in aged care is an essential service – it ’ s not just a luxury , and I think that ’ s how the government and aged care providers look at it ,” he says .
APA is pushing for Labor ’ s commitment to appropriately fund allied health and attribute specific minutes to physiotherapy . “ They plan to expand effectiveness and safety in aged care , and I think that includes provision for allied health services like physiotherapy , rehabilitative and restorative care ,” Willis says . He ’ s still awaiting a response from both the Aged Care Minister Anika Wells and Health Minister Mark Butler to discuss funding arrangements .
“ We haven ’ t had any correspondence from the government ,” Willis says .
“ We ’ ve written to them , looking to set up a meeting to discuss the implementation of the AN-ACC model and the funding arrangements for aged care , but still , we haven ’ t heard anything from them .
“ They ’ ve got our information and we ’ ll be looking to meet with them in the near future .” ■
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