Care Connect acknowledges the Federal Government aged care budget announcement as a significant step forward for senior Australians, but CEO Paul Ostrowski adds a word of caution.
The commitment of additional support for the aged care sector confirms that the government recognises the importance of investing in older Australians, to enable them to remain at home and connected to their communities. While these initial measures will not be sufficient to provide services to everyone that is on the waiting list for a Home Care Package, this is certainly a significant step forward.
As we keenly await the February 2021 report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, we are already aware that there is a lot of work to do in the sector, not least that of the government being more assertive in ensuring the regulation of service providers.
We understand the barriers that individuals and their families meet whilst applying for and receiving care, and know that finding the right provider can be overwhelming, but there should never be any compromise on how you or your loved ones live your lives, or in the care and support that you receive.
For those that will shortly receive their long-awaited Home Care Package approval, we urge you to proceed with caution when selecting a provider, as there will be many that will see this new injection of capital as an opportunity to over promise on services that they ultimately cannot, or are not qualified to, deliver.
At Care Connect we take our responsibilities to our clients very seriously. Not only do we ensure that we meet all government criteria, we take additional measures to ensure your safety and the quality of service you receive, including regular testing by the quality commission, providing equal access to a broad range of independent services, auditing our range of providers, and providing you with access to an expert adviser that will give you genuine, unbiased advice.
Many home care providers will only recommend services they offer. This means the choice of services and carers you receive could be limited. Even if a provider can meet basic needs now, do they have the breadth of experience or connections to deliver the ranges of services you may need into the future?
Care Connect is different: we’re an organisation that works for you and acts in your best interest, and you are never limited on the services you can receive – you can even choose your own provider, if they agree and meet our stringent quality requirements. For a competitive fee, we offer one-to-one guidance with a dedicated Client Adviser so you can continue to reach your goals and lead the life you choose.
Receiving care and support to remain in your own home is your right and Care Connect are always on standby to guide you to make the right choices that best fit your lifestyle, needs and goals.
A summary of the notable measures announced today by the Federal Government:
- A commitment to increase Aged Care funding to $23.9bn in 2020-21, rising to $27.1bn by 2023-24
- $1.6bn over four years for an additional 23,000 home care packages
- 5,000 at level 1
- 8,000 at level 2
- 8,000 at level 3
- 2,000 at level 4
- $746.3m for continuation of Covid-19 response measures – largely previously announced
- $29.8m to regulate a Serious Incident Response Scheme and provide safeguards for older Australians
- $10.8m to ensure nurses are supported and well equipped, particularly with regards to infection control