Residential aged care: Proposed alternative models for allocating places - Australian Government Department of Health

Response 738240528

Before your start, please advise your consent to publish response

1. We would like your permission to publish your online survey responses to the discussion paper. Please indicate your publishing preference:

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Publish response (include both my name and organisation's name)

Publish response, but keep my name private (include my organisation's name)

Publish response anonymously (remove both my name and organisation's name)

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Before you start, please tell us about yourself

5. What stakeholder category do you most identify with?

Please select all that apply

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Consumer

Carer or other consumer representative

Consumer advocacy organisation

Consumer peak body

Carer peak body

Approved provider of residential aged care

Approved provider of flexible aged care

Approved provider of home care

Aged care provider peak body

Provider of private aged care or seniors accommodation

Aged Care Assessment Team/Service

Aged care worker

Health professional

Workforce association or union

Primary Health Network

State and territory government

Local council

Commonwealth agency

Lender or investor/financier

Other

Please select one item

not-for-profit

for-profit

government

Please select one item

operating a single aged care home only

operating 2 to 6 aged care homes

operating 7 to 19 aged care homes

operating 20 or more aged care homes

Please select one item

specialising in servicing particular consumer group/s

providing generalist services

Please select one item

mostly offering single rooms with ensuites

mostly offering single rooms with shared bathrooms

mostly offering shared rooms with an ensuite

mostly offering shared rooms with common bathroom

mostly offering ‘other’ room type

If you answered ‘other room type’, please specify:

mix of above

6. Where does your organisation operate (if applicable)? Otherwise, where do you live?

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New South Wales

Australian Capital Territory

Victoria

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Northern Territory

Tasmania

All states and territories in Australia

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In a remote area

In a rural area

In a regional area

In a metropolitan area or major city

Current arrangements

7. What works well under the current residential aged care allocation and places management model for consumers and/or providers?

Strengths of current arrangements for consumers

consumers and their families are already stressed with the admission process into residential care without being on a QUE- unbelievable to me that this idea could be seriously contemplated!!!

Strengths of current arrangements for providers

certainty that genuine providers are serious and patient in applying for new or additional places. yes new providers would complain with the current process but if genuine will find a way.

8. Are there other issue/s with the current model for the allocation and management of places for residential aged care that have not been covered in this paper?

Other issues with current arrangements for consumers

current delay issues yet to be addressed with centrelink etc

Other issues with current arrangements for providers

current delay issues yet to be addressed with centrelink etc

Are these problems occurring at national level, or only in certain areas (e.g. rural, regional and remote areas) or for particular consumer groups?

here in metro adelaide

What evidence supports your view that these are significant issues which need to be addressed?

90% of our enrolment process is correcting centrelink delays and errors and waiting for resolutions and comforting residents that they do not have to sell their house to enter respite or permanent care
eg for respite admissions the daily fee we charge is more than 85% of the combined pension for a couple so when does the single pension change for respite admissions?

Design principles for alternative allocation models

9. Are the proposed design principles appropriate?

Please select one item

Yes

10. Are there any other principles that you consider should be included?

Please select one item

Yes

Model 1: Improve the ACAR and places management - Overall model

11. What are your views on the suggested improvements proposed under this model?

in favour of model 1: improve the acar and places management

Model 1: Improve the ACAR and places management - Key design considerations

12. How can this model ensure/encourage adequate supply of and equitable access to residential aged care and residential respite care (aside from increasing funding or revising the funding model), including:

in rural, regional and remote areas and other thin markets?

certainty with today's process

for consumers from vulnerable cohorts (such as Special Needs Groups, consumers with dementia)?

ditto

13. Are there variations to this model which should be included in the impact analysis?

as we operate in a lower socio economic area a less onerous application process through centrelink and mac would be great!!!

14. What other key changes could be made to the existing ACAR and/or places management arrangements to encourage a more consumer driven and competitive residential aged care sector?

Other key changes to ACAR

simplify application forms and especially marketing requirements for places which are clearly required today and into the long term future

Model 1: Improve the ACAR and places management - Exploring the potential impacts

15. In overview, what would be the potential impact of this model (consider benefits, costs and risks) on you or the stakeholder group or organisation you represent?

greater confidence

16. What do you think might be the impact on the residential aged care sector overall?

ditto

17. If this model were to be implemented, what are the potential impacts on, linkages or interdependencies with, other programs or reforms in aged care that might impact you or the stakeholder group or organisation you represent?

nil

Model 1: Improve the ACAR and places management - Implementation and transition considerations

18. How could implementation of this model maximise the benefits and minimise risks/disruptions?

mainly the same as exists today so minimal impact

What steps/sequencing and timeframes would be appropriate to facilitate a smooth transition?

a few years

What specific supports or enablers would be required to ensure the changes are understood by all stakeholders and successfully implemented?

regular email updates and face to face meetings in smaller groups than over a hundred as per past briefings sessions

Model 2: Assign residential aged care places to consumers - Overall model

19. Overall, what are your views on this proposed model?

hate it!

Model 2: Assign residential aged care places to consumers - Key design considerations (consumers)

20. What are your views on the establishment of a queue to access subsidised residential aged care, if the demand from eligible persons exceeds the available places?

disaster

21. What are your views on using date of approval and urgency of need as factors in determining a person’s priority (noting these are the factors used in home care)?

already exists

22. What other factors should also be included in the criteria for prioritising a person in the residential aged care queue?

family support and access to timely information and not lies that existing market savvy providers dish out!

23. What are your views on the validity period of the assigned place for residential aged care?

disaster

24. Where a place is withdrawn, how can we balance the need to allow consumers to re-join the queue while also avoiding creation of perverse incentives for people to join the queue without intention of taking up a place at that time?

you've answered your own question- que = disaster!

25. What additional information or supports would consumers need to assist them in selecting a preferred aged care home?

a hell of a lot- but a start would be to consult with the plethora of existing or recent users of residential aged care

26. What would need to be in place to ensure equitable access to appropriate services when requesting entry to an aged care home i.e. in particular for consumers with limited capacity to pay, consumers from Special Needs Groups and those with dementia?

a guardian angel? or just clearer concise information that does not vary across sources of contact in the health system eg home- hospital- doctor- family friend- racf- racf employees etc etc

Model 2: Assign residential aged care places to consumers - Key design considerations (providers)

27. As an existing approved provider: Would you consider changing your business, service or workforce model if these reforms proceeded? If so, how?

don't want to contemplate the increased focus on marketing-admin costs at the expense of care costs eg nursing and care hours reduction

28. As an existing approved provider: How would you ensure your aged care home/s remain competitive and attractive to consumers?

we already are- our care sells our facility

29. As a provider of private residential aged care or other seniors accommodation: Would you consider applying to become an approved provider under the Aged Care Act 1997 to offer subsidised care if these reforms proceeded?

haven't heard about this?

30. What features in the model, or the broader system, would be required to support providers to operate sustainably in a competitive market? For example, how could innovation and differentiation in service and accommodation offerings be facilitated?

n/a

31. For those providers who are dependent on capital financing, what role does the ACAR system play in supporting their ability to obtain that financing?

n/a

32. What might be required to ensure the residential aged care sector remains an attractive investment for financiers and lenders?

leave model as is

33. How can adequate availability of residential aged care services be supported (aside from increasing funding or revising the funding model):

in rural, regional and remote areas and other thin markets?

cannot answer as i do not understand rural issues

for consumers from vulnerable cohorts (such as Special Needs Groups, consumers with dementia)?

increase respite places (reduce providers application restrictions) to provide confidence to less educated/ affluent consumers

34. Is it possible to attach conditions to being an approved provider, and could these conditions be specific to locations or particular consumer groups?

i thought this already happens?

Model 2: Assign residential aged care places to consumers - Exploring the potential impacts

35. What would be the overall potential impact of this model (consider benefits, costs, and risks) on you or the organisation or stakeholder group you represent?

disaster

36. What do you think might be the impact on the residential aged care sector overall?

disaster

37. If this model were to be implemented, what are the potential impacts on, linkages or interdependencies with, other programs or reforms in aged care that might impact you or the stakeholder group or organisation you represent?

not relevant i hope!

38. How could residential respite care places be distributed, and to whom, if residential aged care places no longer exist?

disaster

39. What are your views on how to manage extra service status under this model?

n/a

40. How might the allocation, eligibility criteria and/or administrative provisions (e.g. terms of repayment) for capital grants allocated through the ACAR need to change to best support the needs and objectives of a more market based model?

eliminate them?

Model 2: Assign residential aged care places to consumers - Implementation and transition considerations

41. How could implementation of this model maximise the benefits and minimise risks/disruptions?

n/a

What steps/sequencing and timeframes would be appropriate to facilitate a smooth transition?

n/a

What specific supports or enablers would be required to ensure the changes are understood by all stakeholders and successfully implemented?

n/a

General views

42. Aside from the two proposed models, how else could we encourage greater consumer choice and a more consumer driven market in residential aged care?

education to all stakeholders to give confidence to all

43. Do you have any other overall comments you wish to provide?

go with model 1 after improving our current system