CONVERSATIONS 6 IMPORTANT UPDATES West Coast Home Care will have a focus on the Aged Care Industry changes at our “Conversations” Consumer Engagement meetings in 2025. Single Assessment The Single Assessment System will make it easier for older people to access aged care and adapt services as their needs change. A person needs to be assessed before they can access government-funded aged care services. An aged care assessment works out: • a person’s care needs • the types of care and services a person may be eligible for. Why aged care assessment reform is important The Single Assessment System will simplify and improve the experience of older people by providing a flexible system that can quickly adapt to their aged care needs. Currently, there are different assessment pathways. As a result, assessments are not consistent, and older people are often moved between assessment organisations as their needs change. The new system will provide a single assessment pathway that can quickly adapt to changing needs, without having to change assessment providers. More information: www.health.gov.au/our-work/ single-assessment-system-for-aged-care New Aged Care Act The Australian Government is developing a new Aged Care Act to strengthen Australia’s aged care system. The new Act aims to ensure that people who access aged care services funded by the Australian Government are treated with respect and have the quality of life they deserve. On the 12 September 2024, The Australian Government’s Aged Care Bill passed Parliament. This means the new Aged Care Act will start from 1 July 2025. A new Act will bring a range of improvements for older people including: • a new regulatory model • strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards • a Statement of Rights for older people • easier entry and access to services. Older people and their supporters will have a greater say and a more independent voice about the care and services they receive. This includes protections to speak up when they’re not satisfied and better equipping providers to handle complaints effectively. Thanks to the new Support at Home program, more older people can live in their own home for longer and receive home modifications and assistive technology so they can do so safely. An extraordinary amount of work has taken place to get to this point and there is still a lot of work to do. The Department of Health and Aged Care continues to consult on the Aged Care Rules and will be working closely with aged care providers and workers to allow for a smooth transition from 1 July 2025. More information can be found at: www.health. gov.au/our-work/aged-care-act Features of the new Support at Home Program The new Support at Home program will better support older people to remain independent at home. It will bring together current in-home aged care programs, have new classifications, equitable pricing, an increased focus on early interventions, and higher levels of care for people with complex needs. From 1 July 2025, the new Support at Home program will replace the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme. It will provide upfront supports to maintain independence, such as allied health, assistive technology and home modifications, new classification and budget levels to better meet a person’s aged care needs, price caps and participant contributions set by government. From no earlier than 1 July 2027, the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will transition into Support at Home. Until that time, CHSP will continue to operate as a separate program for existing clients and new clients with low-level needs. About the Support at Home Program: www.health. gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/about Support at Home Program Handbook Program details for 1 July 2025: www.health.gov.au/sites/ default/files/2024-11/support-at-home-programhandbook.pdf Letter to care recipients about Home Care Package subsidy increase The department has sent a letter to Home Care Package recipients and their authorised representatives about the increase to the subsidy from 1 January 2025. This increase will support providers to pass on the aged care worker wage rise. The Australian Government is supporting an increase to aged care worker wages from 1 January 2025, this is a result of the Fair Work Commission’s decision to increase wages for some aged care workers. If you receive a Home Care Package, this will mean an increase to your package subsidy. You should expect to continue to receive the same services and hours of care that you currently receive from your provider. Your provider is required to pass on the wage rise to their workers. Some providers will need to adjust their prices for care and services delivered by workers that will be receiving this wage increase. What do you need to do? Your provider may ask you to agree to reasonable price increases for your care and services and update your Home Care Agreement. These price increases will be funded through the increase to your Home Care Package subsidy, it is not expected that your contribution will change. If you don’t agree to the price increase, it may make it harder for your provider to keep giving you care. You can contact the Older Persons Advocacy Network for information about your rights and seek support. More information The Department of Health and Aged Care have sent a letter to everyone who receives a Home Care Package informing them of these changes. You can read a copy of the letter on the Department of Health and Aged Care website. For more information, you can also read this fact sheet about the Aged Care wage rises. www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/ letter-to-care-recipients-about-home-carepackage-subsidy-increase.pdf www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/ aged-care-wage-rise-stage-3-home-carepackages-program-care-recipient-fact-sheet.pdf Please contact our office if: • You did not receive this letter, please contact our office and we can send one to you. • To access a hard copy of this information.
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