admin Today, Scott Morrison, suggesting if the aged care royal commission proposes major sector-wide reform then “we’re up for that” and the measures are an “initial response” but “there is more to be done and more will be done.”
Additionally Scott Morrison noted the government is aware of specific cases where the viability questions arise and aged care providers are at risk of collapse.
An extra $537m will spend on aged care to address three priority areas identified by the scathing royal commission interim report by the Morrison government. And the majority of the package ($496.3m) will be spent on 10,000 home-care packages, with the rest spent on improving medication management to reduce use of chemical restraints ($25.5m), extra dementia training ($10m) and measures to speed up targets to remove younger people from aged care ($4.7m).
Richard Colbeck, the aged-care minister said “The current method of funding aged care is not fit for purpose, so the government is trialling a new model to pay providers more on the basis of assessing the care needs of the individuals to deal with the structural change of residents needing more care, imperilling providers’ viability.”
The aged care royal commission delivered an interim report in October blaming the aged care system with the waiting list of 120,000 Australians waiting for home-care packages just one measure of “a shocking tale of neglect”.
Morrison, health minister Greg Hunt and Colbeck, on Monday in a joint statement, said the report was “clear … we can and must do better in providing improved support for our older Australians”.
“Like every Australian, we were appalled by the revelations of the interim report, however we will do everything we can to build an aged care system of the highest quality.”
The 10,000 extra home-care packages will be strongly weighted towards level 3 and level 4 packages, which provide a high level of care, and will start with 5,500 places rolled out from 1 December.
The ministers said, “The government will establish stronger safeguards and restrictions for the prescribing of repeat prescriptions of risperidone from 1st Feburary.”
“The royal commission directed that restraint must only be used as a last resort, and amendments to regulations will make this clear.”
Under the new rules doctors will be required to apply for additional approval to prescribe risperidone beyond an initial 12-week period.
The government will provide information for doctors prescribing antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in residential aged care, with “targeted letters” sent to high prescribers. The interim report recommended the government commit that no more younger people should enter aged care by 2022 and all younger people in care should be out by 2025, subject to limited exemptions.
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