This week has seen more ‘green shoots’ for Plan B, but aged care providers need to be prepared to step up and be part of the discussion – and involve their customers and families.
In the Budget earlier this month, the Federal Government announced that it would fund an Aged Care Taskforce to review the funding of aged care, including “contribution arrangements that will support a sustainable system”.
This week, there has been further evidence that the Albanese Government is seriously weighing up the role of consumer contributions in aged care with the release of a strategy paper by the office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
As we reported on Monday, the Draft National Strategy for the Care and Support Economy names one of the Government’s objectives as “fair and reasonable consumer contributions where appropriate” and calls for a national conversation around future funding of the aged care sector.
Critically, the measures also appear to have bipartisan support, with the Financial Review reporting that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accepted in-principle the need for increased consumer contributions in aged care.
The Aged and Community Care Providers Association is keen to kickstart the conversation, hosting a summit on financial sustainability in Canberra today aimed to developing some recommendations for the long-term funding of the sector.
But the harder conversations are ahead.
Any new system will need to win the acceptance of consumers, their families and the wider community – so they need to be part of the design process.
Aged care providers are the main point of contact with aged care recipients – not the Government or the peak body.
CEOs have to speak up – and encourage their customers and their carers to provide their feedback on the strategy paper and any future consultation.
This is not just about ensuring the future sustainability of Australia’s aged care system – it’s about guaranteeing quality care and a fairer and more equitable system for all Australians.
We should all have a say.
You can comment on the strategy paper here.
