While aged care providers are breathing a collective sigh of relief following the Government’s decision to delay the new Aged Care Act by four months, Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson is urging caution: “Keep going. Don’t take your foot off the pedal.”
"The Government will be really alert to us looking like we're being complacent. I know we won't be, but let's make sure that we're really focused. We need to get it right."
Speaking to The Weekly SOURCE moments before appearing at Ageing Australia's Melbourne conference on Wednesday (4 June), Tom said, "For a lot of our members, the vast majority, this is just a huge relief.
"We've had people turning up at the conference here in Victoria who had decided not to come because they were still so stressed about the imminent changes. And they've been able to come along so they can hear more, because this gives them a bit of headroom to get the reform right."
While acknowledging that some in the sector may feel the Government is “moving the goalposts again” after months of work toward a 1 July start, Tom Symondson said every Ageing Australia member he’s spoken to agrees the delay is, on balance, the best outcome for the sector’s long-term sustainability.
1 July compliance impossible
Russell Bricknell, CEO of Western Australia Not For Profit Juniper, told The Weekly SOURCE, "The Government chose an artificial date to start [the reforms] without thinking about what effort was involved and I think that's impacted both the Department [of Health, Disability and Ageing] and providers.
"This is a sensible decision. We welcome it," he said, admitting the Juniper team had accepted "we weren't ever going to be 100% compliant by 1 July".
"Huge amounts of anxiety"
Charles Moore, CEO of Not For Profit BaptistCare, also welcomed the day, saying it "alleviates significant pressure on our teams, who were experiencing huge amounts of anxiety and concern that rushing this transition would detrimentally affect our ability to deliver high-level, person-centred care.
"By delaying the start of the Act, we have the appropriate time to ensure our systems are ready to go, our people are properly trained and our residents and clients are well informed about the changes.
"We thank the Government for listening to the sector and making a good and pragmatic decision that empowers a smooth transition for our people."
