Craig Gear, the CEO of the Older Persons Advocacy Network which coordinates the nine major state and territory advocacy groups, has told the Commissioners that they have had around 20 instances in the past 18 months where they have approached services to hold sessions for staff and been knocked back.
He says it’s a situation usually resolved by appealing to “higher management” but “it is a concern for us”.
You have to wonder: is it complacency, arrogance or simply just a lack of interest from staff who are busy trying to stay on top of residents and paperwork?
Surprisingly to us, Mr Gear said they only receive around 230 to 240 calls per week (we would have expected this number to be higher), but most concerns raised are now about home care – specifically waiting times.
“They’re saying ‘I don’t understand the fee structure, I don’t understand what I’m expected to contribute and I’m worried this is not value for money’”, he said.
Commissioner Briggs had another concern though – whether the waiting times are causing people to enter residential aged care before home care becomes available.
“Our services are hearing cases of that,” he said. “It might be about career burden. Caring for someone for that level of time without that level of support coming in does have an impact. It may also be that the right level of enablement is not available and the person deteriorates and residential becomes the next option.”
Mr Gear added many are missing out on their Home Care Packages (HCPs) because they don’t always receive their letter or call to confirm. “The common practice is if they don’t answer three times, then they don’t want their package and that is not the case.
He wants a face-to-face system or more traditional types of support to guide aged care consumers, pointing to the new Aged Care Navigator trial about to get underway.
This would be supported by webinars, telephone support and health services including GP’s he said, when Commissioner Briggs asked how he could see that system working considering “this could become bigger than Ben Hur”, in her words.
As a side note, Commissioner Richard Tracey did quiz Mr Gear during his hour-long session on the organisations he hears advertising on the radio such as agedcare101 that will pilot people through the aged care journey. Mr Gear stated agedcare101 operates on a fee for service basis, giving advice. Correction: this is our web portal and we give our on line education for free.