Speak Out April 2021

Commonwealth Home Support Program and Home Care Packages) to include a dedicated funding allocation for allied health within an individualised funding package (think like NDIS) to meet “any identified need for allied health care, whether episodic or ongoing” to maximise independence for older people living at home. The Association will continue advocacy through various channels to input into streamlining and developing a new funding model that ensures appropriate and adequate access to speech pathology services to meet older people’s needs. A new Aged Care Act to enshrine a human rights based approach to aged care By 1/7/23 ( Rec 1) a rights based Act to be developed to underpin sector transformation in setting the parameters of ensuring all services must uphold rights like equity of access, high quality and safe and timely care, freedom from abuse and substandard care, choice and control and person centred care that focusses on maintaining independence and social participation. A new single integrated aged care program By 1/7/24, (Rec 25) a new aged care program to be developed that combines existing Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and Residential Aged Care Program, including respite and short-term restorative care. This will also include a single assessment process (i.e., combined Regional Assessment Service and Aged Care Assessment Service). It calls for certainty of funding and availability of service based on assessed need (i.e, abolition of wait lists, especially for HCPs) Enhanced regulation and governance of the aged care system Recommendations include development of a new Aged Care Commission (5), Aged Care Pricing Authority (6), Aged Care Advisory Council (7), renaming of the Department of Health to Health and Aged Care and Minister for Health and Aged Care to be a senior Cabinet Minister (8), new Aged Care Safety and Quality Authority (10), Inspector General of Aged Care (12), redesigned Recommendations include a new model of access to GPs (56), access to specialists at home (58, 62) including via telehealth (63), enhanced access to mental health services (59, 61) and dental services (60) , medication management reviews (64), enhanced access to all health services including subacute rehabilitation for people in Aged Care Standards (18,19) e.t.c. Improved access to health care

residential care or home (70), clarification of roles and responsibilities between State health providers and aged care providers (69), equity of access to services for older people with a disability regardless of when acquired as to outcomes under NDIS (72), no younger people in residential aged care(74). Workforce development The Commission noted the sector does not have enough workers, with the appropriate skill mix and with the appropriate training to match to the care needs of older people, or with appropriate levels of remuneration. Recommendations include registration and minimum qualifications for personal care workers (77,78) to include modules in dysphagia management, review of course curriculum including speech pathology (82, p128 summary), funding for aged care placements for students (83), increases in award wages (84, 85), a minimum staff time standard in residential aged care (86) leading to greater staff numbers of nursing. The wider reports from the Commission have acknowledged a number of additional issues relevant to speech pathology, including the limited access to speech pathology, rates of malnutrition and dehydration and the importance of enhancing food and nutrition in aged care, use of restraints rather than proactive measures, the need for better support for people with dementia including a post diagnostic support pathway, the need for better training and support of the personal care workforce and so on. Next steps: The Association is currently actively working on further advocacy efforts to influence future implementation of these recommendations including through engagement with the office of the Federal Minister, Department of Health, collaboration with our working alliances with the National Aged Care Alliance (NACA), Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG), Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) aged care working party and so on. Stay tuned for further updates though Speak UP Podcasts and Speak Out editions in the future. It is an exciting time of reform and real opportunity for speech pathology in aged care! Kym Torresi Senior Advisor, Aged Care agedcare@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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April 2021 | Speak Out