In a hook-up with retirement village members last Friday, the sector’s peak body heard operators were still missing vital compliance material for the new Aged Care Act on 1 July from the Department of Health and Aged Care.
The Weekly SOURCE reported last Tuesday the Retirement Living Council (RLC) called on the Commonwealth to delay the rollout of the Act and adopt a transitional approach to ensure operators can support clients seamlessly and to allow compliance with legal requirements.
Ageing Australia, the peak body for aged care providers, said the transition timeframe for the reforms is a "major concern for providers".
In the meeting with the RLC last Friday, operators said they were “hamstrung” in forming new pricing for services, causing client anxiety. In addition, there are unanswered questions surrounding liquidity standards, the critical overhaul of IT systems, and a lack of training for staff.
RLC Executive Director Daniel Gannon added the guidelines around contract charges, cancellation costs, and travel expenses are still unclear.
“With these limitations, it makes it almost impossible for operators to establish accurate pricing and then have meaningful consultation with clients about the changes,” he said.
“This means clients are being denied the opportunity to shop around to find the best and most cost-effective packages for them.
“As things stand, there is a lot of uncertainty, and it comes at a time when more than 80,000 people are already waiting for Home Care packages in the community.”
Get the most important industry news straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our free newsletter: https://www.theweeklysource.com.au/newsletter-subscription-form
