The 2022–23 Budget includes an additional $522 million in aged care spending this year to extend its five-year reform in response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, bringing the total investment over that time to $18.8 billion.
The main new expenditure is:
- $215.3 million to provide bonuses of up $800 to aged care workers over the next two years;
- $48.5 million to subsidise 15,000 vocational education and training places for those who are already in or are looking to enter the aged care workforce;
- $340 million to embed pharmacy services in residential aged care homes in a bid to improve how medication is managed within the facilities;
- An additional $458.1 million over 5 years to support older Australians in the aged care sector with managing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic;
- $2.6 billion over the next two years to buy Rapid Antigen Tests and personal protective equipment (PPE), including PPE for the National Medical Stockpile to distribute to residential aged care facilities to assist them in managing COVID-19.
Greg Hunt, Minister for Aged Care, also pledged $20.1 million to support the transition from the current funding model, the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI), to the new AN-ACC model in October.
In addition, $22.1 million will be allocated to a Multidisciplinary Outreach Services trial, which will offer hospital-led access to specialists and other health practitioners for residents of residential aged care homes.
“To support a surge workforce for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, $21.6 million will be provided to ensure services adhere to the Aged Care Quality Standards. This will assist the Commission to undertake residential aged care audits, increasing quality and safety assessments,” said the Minister.
“Our Government is investing $10.8 million in the Cross-Agency Taskforce on Regulatory Alignment to progress alignment of regulation across the care and support sector – aged care, disability supports, and veterans’ care. This will improve the quality and safety of care and support services, reduce duplication of obligations, and enable providers and workers to operate more seamlessly across the sector.”
Finally, the Government is spending $6.1 million to continue the initial rollout of a regional stewardship model of governance for aged care.
The Government had already announced 40,000 new Home Care Packages (HCPs) for this financial year and the 2022-23 financial year.
