The Federal Government’s aged care plan is across a range of areas, including home care, residential aged care services and sustainability, residential aged care quality and safety, workforce and governance. Following is a breakdown and key planks of the package:
HOME CARE
- $6.5 billion for an extra 80,000 home care packages, taking the total to more than 275,500 by June 2023
- $10.8 million for a new program for home-care support
- $798.3 million for the 1.6 million informal carers, including extra respite services for 8400 seniors each year
- $272.5 million for more services to help senior Australians navigating the aged-care system
RESIDENTIAL AGED-CARE SERVICES AND SUSTAINABILITY
- $3.9 billion to increase mandated care minutes to 200 per day, including 40 minutes with a registered nurse
- $3.2 billion for the $10 basic daily fee, which will be used by providers to deliver better care and services
- $102.1 million to assign residential aged-care places directly to senior Australians
- $49.1 million for the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority
- $189.3 for a new Australian National Aged Care Classification for a fairer and more sustainable funding system
- $5.5 million to reform residential care design, particularly so it better meets the needs of people with dementia
RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE QUALITY AND SAFETY
- $365.7 million for better access to primary care
- $262.5 million for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- $7.3 million for extra services to help residential aged care provide for Australians with dementia
- $67.5 million for dementia behaviour support, to reduce reliance on physical and chemical restraints
- $200.1 million for a new star rating system
WORKFORCE
- 33,800 subsidised vocational training places for new aged-care workers
- $228.2 million for a single assessment workforce
- $135.6 million for financial bonuses for registered nurses, to help with retention
- $9.8 million for a national recruitment campaign
GOVERNANCE
- $21.1 million for new structures including a National Aged Care Advisory Council, Council of Elders and an office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care
- $630.2 million to help regional, rural and Indigenous Australians access quality aged care
- $13.4 million to improve rural and regional aged care
