Catholic Health Australia has welcomed the Albanese Government’s decision to delay the implementation of the Aged Care Act until November 1, to ensure providers and more than 280,000 clients have sufficient time to transition to the new Support at Home program.
“We strongly support the reforms enacted in the Aged Care Act but this delay is needed to ensure a smooth transition that avoids unintended negative consequences,” CHA chief executive Jason Kara said.
“Reform of this magnitude and importance should not be rushed. We welcome this announcement today and thank the Government, Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler, and the new Aged Care Minister, Sam Rae, for their constructive engagement.”
CHA, which represents more than 350 aged care facilities and 20 per cent of home care, has been calling for a delay to the implementation of the Act to support providers, clients and their families with the transition to the new Support at Home program.
Under the Aged Care Act, the Support at Home program will ultimately replace the current home care packages and Commonwealth Home Support Program with a single, unified, in-home aged care system.
“Partly due to the later-than-expected passage of the Aged Care Act, much of the detail around how the new program will work is incomplete or in draft,” Mr Kara said.
“Requiring providers and residents to sign agreements without key information such as co-contribution amounts and transitional rules would have risked the discontinuation of care, or care being provided without a legal service agreement, posing legal, financial and regulatory risks.
“Delaying the transition will allow older Australians to seek advice and make informed decisions before signing a new agreement and support providers to continue delivering high-quality care throughout this process.”
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