Aged care peaks are calling on the Federal Government to reveal details of its new AN-ACC funding model in the Budget on 29 March, ahead of the scheme’s introduction in October.
The Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC) says providers have been “left in the dark” about key elements of the new funding model, including pricing, profiling, and outcomes of resident needs assessments, and that this has left residential aged care providers with little time to plan.
“Without having a clear understanding of how services are to be funded under the new model come October and the staffing levels that will apply, providers can’t plan their budgets and workforces. They can’t hire new staff or provide existing staff with certainty.
“The Government has sufficient information at its fingertips and it is critical this information is revealed alongside the upcoming Federal Budget so that providers can be assured that they will be adequately resourced to deliver the care that is needed,” the organisation said.
The new system classifies each resident of an aged care home with a number from one to 13, which determines funding and minimum staffing levels for that home.
“The Government has been conducting assessments over the last six months, to classify residents under the new system. But they won’t release the results of the assessments.
“It’s simply not good enough for older Australians in care and the people caring for them,” said AACC, which represents six aged care peak bodies in Australia.
A survey by Mirus Australia last month found that 70% of aged care CEOs were not prepared for AN-ACC, despite its ranking among providers’ top three concerns.
