Community-based Not For Profit operator Shepparton Villages, which earlier this year opened a new $20 million 101-bed aged care home, has warned of an uncertain future for all aged care operators in its annual report.

“The next 12 to 24 months will be critical for Shepparton Villages and the industry overall as the Government moves from the current funding tool to a new funding tool, Australian National Aged Care Classification (ANACC) commencing in October 2022. To date there has not been sufficient Information released by the Government to determine what impact this will have on the industry,” said Shepparton Villages’ Executive Manager of Finance and Admin, Murray Burls in its annual report.

“Further to that it is apparent that post the Royal Commission the Government is set to introduce more compliance measures around provision of food (already in place) and mandated staffing ratios and reporting requirements for care delivery.

“This can only add to the cost base of residential aged care providers, and it is hoped that the Federal Government acknowledge this within the new funding tool and through providing further funding to residential care.”

Shepparton Villages, which operates 342 residential aged care beds and 272 independent living units, reported an operating loss of $1.4 million for the year to 30 June, which is $111,920 better than the previous last year’s loss.

Mr Burls forecast that its new aged care home Mooroopna Place at its Rodney Park site in Mooroopna, a town 181km north of Melbourne’s CBD, will provide “strong financial results” in the 2021/2022 financial year. It is the organisation’s second major capital project in the past four years.