More than $17.7 billion will be dedicated to fund aged care reforms over the next five years as listed in the federal budget.
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The funding is in response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which revealed the abuse aged care residents have faced and severe underfunding to the industry.
Harbison CEO David Cochran said it is a "strong response" to the royal commission.
"It recognises the importance of nurses to our residents," he said.
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Mr Cochran also acknowledged its flaws.
"While it is not perfect and lacks detail, the Government has committed to an average of 40 minutes of direct nurse care per resident per day."
The allocation of 3 hours and 20 minutes of care per resident per day, with 40 of those minutes being required to be with a registered nurse was one of the biggest takeaways.
The budget disclosed timelines for some initiatives, but did not disclose them for others.
The budget disclosed the following timelines:
- A total of 80,000 additional home care packages will also be provided to older Australians from July 2021 to enable them to live at home for longer. The $6.5 billion investment funding increases the total to 275,000 home packages.
- In early 2022, $798.3 million will be utilised to provide informal carers and older Australians with improved access to respite care and support via the Government's Carer Gateway.
- From 1 July 2022, providers are expected to report staffing minutes which will be accessible to residents and their families.
- The Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) will be a new funding model introduced to residents to ensure individual needs are met.
- From October 1 2023, 3 hours and 20 minutes of care has been allocated to each aged care resident, with 40 of those minutes being required to be with a registered nurse.
- Older Australians will have an increase in "residential care places" available from July 1 2024, which will provide them with more "choice and control".
Other areas that received funding were:
- $365.7 million will be invested to improve access to health services such as GPs and improve the coordination of services.
- $216.7 million will improve access to care and provide additional training and financial incentives to encourage nurses to pursue aged care nursing.
- $301.3 million of funding will enable capacity of the independent Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to increase.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, rural and regional communities and "special needs groups".
- JobTrainer will provide 33,800 places to allow current and emerging care workers to improve their qualifications.
- $21.1 million will be provided to develop systems for "more effective system oversight".
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Briannah Devlin
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
