Residential aged care’s new AN-ACC funding system goes live on 1 October – but is the sector ready, and how are providers feeling about such a significant change?
Graeme Croft (pictured), Founder and Managing Director of Signature Care, which operates 15 aged care homes around Australia, said their main concern has been “inaccurate assessment outcomes” due to “subjectivity” and differences between assessors.
“We have already seen that 76% of our assessments were done incorrectly and when the assessors were changed, the outcome of assessments were different.
“One of our residents has had three different outcomes of assessments by different assessors over a period of a few months, even though nothing changed in terms of that resident’s care needs.
“This demonstrates that the AN-ACC tool is neither objective nor black and white.”
Graeme is also concerned about a “lack of transparency” in how the AN-ACC algorithm works.
“The providers do not have a reason to trust the outcomes of assessments.
“If the algorithm tool isn’t made public, how do we know if the assessment was done correctly or not?”
Graeme said it would be “unfair” if the Department starts charging fees for reassessments after October given the concerns about accuracy.
Graeme is also concerned that allied health and lifestyle are given “no consideration” in care minutes, “even though they provide direct care to the residents and are hugely important for residents’ wellbeing, particularly for those residents that have memory loss or are unaware because of cognitive deficits.”
In terms of AN-ACC funding, Signature Care is “unsure” if it will be better or worse off.
Its “main concern” is that “insufficient weighting” is given to dementia residents who are ambulant but require “significant staff intervention and monitoring”.
“The low scoring (under AN-ACC) means we may not be able to admit these types of residents in the future,” Graeme said.
Ahead of the introduction of AN-ACC, Signature Care has “invested heavily” in technology.
“We have the Acredia or Axis system, and developed a resident/relative app for information flow on a real-time basis reporting on how we meet resident care needs.”
ACCPA spokesperson Paul Sadler said the peak body is concerned that up to a third of residential aged care providers could be forced to close under the new AN-ACC funding model.
“While the new model grants an average funding increase of up to 10% per resident per day, a financial analysis by accountants StewartBrown has found government requirements for additional minutes of care will absorb that increase and leave providers out of pocket.”
The requirements for aged care homes to have registered nurses on site 24/7 and additional care minutes will also contribute to a “funding gap”, Paul said.
ACCPA understands not every provider will be fully ready on 1 October.
“Residential care providers and software vendors have been waiting for the government to finalise the details of the rules to apply to AN-ACC. There will be a period of adjustment required as organisations update systems,” Paul said.
