Catholic Health Australia (CHA) is urging the federal government to strengthen financial protections in the upcoming Budget so that vulnerable older Australians do not lose access to essential aged care services. The call comes amid concerns that current safety nets and funding mechanisms are leaving many people without the care they need.
CHA represents 350 aged care facilities across the country, accounting for around 20% of home services. While the group supports fair contributions from those who can afford to pay, it insists that more help is needed for people in hardship.
“While we welcome the reforms of the Aged Care Act, we must keep working to ensure that aged care remains accessible for everyone, not just those with the deepest pockets,” said CHA CEO Jason Kara. “We are concerned the current safety nets in place are inadequate and will potentially see thousands of disadvantaged people miss out on the care they need.”
A key request from CHA is to increase the accommodation supplement, currently capped at $69.49 per day. According to CHA, the real cost of aged care accommodation averages $114.79 per day, making the supplement insufficient to cover providers’ expenses.
“The current supplement simply does not cover costs,” Kara said. “Without an increase, aged care providers will be unable to sustain quality residential care for low-means older Australians.”
CHA is also asking the government to establish strict timelines for processing hardship applications through Services Australia.
“The government must urgently provide detail on hardship provisions and set maximum timeframes to ensure no-one gets left behind while waiting to find out if they qualify,” said Mr Kara.
Other recommendations in CHA’s pre-budget submission include government subsidies to help providers implement new reforms under the Aged Care Act, increased funding to high-cost rural and remote mining towns, a commitment to deliver enough home care packages to meet growing demand, and rent subsidies for aged care nurses to help them cope with rising living expenses.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
