All the signs are pointing to the need for a radical shift in the way that health care is delivered to older Australians and aged care providers could be leading the charge.
If you have not already read it, check out the latest issue of SATURDAY looking at the impact that the delay in Support at Home and the Government’s response to the Aged Care Taskforce is having on the aged care sector.
The overriding message?
Operators are struggling to plan strategically for the future because of the ongoing uncertainty around the reform agenda and constant change of policy direction from the Department of Health and Aged Care.
60% of home care and Commonwealth Home Support Programme providers surveyed earlier this year by aged care advisory firm Enkindle Consulting named ‘future planning and strategic thinking’ as their No. 1 priority for 2024 (see graph above).
But while uncertainties remain, there are some hard truths facing Australia, as our CEO Chris Baynes reflected on in Tuesday's newsletter.
‘The Titanic has hit the iceberg’ – few new aged care beds are being built, hospital beds are full, and workforce shortages persist; all while the population rapidly ages.
This offers challenges – but also opportunities – for aged care providers.
The country will need to quickly bridge the gap between health care and aged care for the many people who will be ageing at home alone. This means advancing the use of technology, telehealth and Hospital in the Home to support people.
Already in the United States and here, we are seeing more incidents of care are happening in the home.
Should home care providers be building up their capabilities to become that partner in the community?
The recent ‘Advances in measuring healthcare productivity’ paper by the Productivity Commission found there were three areas where Australia could get more ‘bang for its healthcare buck’:
- Reducing lifestyle risk factors,
- Faster approvals for pharmaceuticals and other medical technologies, and
- Using digital technology.
The sector is perfectly placed to deliver health care services aimed at prevention and disease management to older people.
Larger operators like Australian Unity and integratedliving are already leading the way in developing integrated health and aged care platforms. Smaller providers can also be agile and pivot their businesses towards these models.
Expanding your services to allied health and other acute care services increases your revenue streams and career pathways and helps to build your brand and customer awareness along the ageing journey.
This model also doesn’t require the Government’s Aged Care Taskforce response or the final outline of Support at Home to get started – it’s a win-win for everyone.
Is the future of aged care ‘health care’?
You can download Enkindle’s Home Care Provider Outlook report here.
