Acting Inspector-General of Aged Care, Ian Yates AM, has released the 2024 Progress Report on the implementation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s recommendations. This crucial document, presented to Parliament, offers a detailed examination of the status of all 148 recommendations made by the Royal Commission, effective from 1 January 2024. It tracks progress and highlights the ongoing challenges older Australians face in accessing and navigating aged care services.
Progress and Ongoing Challenges
The 2024 Progress Report reflects commendable advancements and notable areas requiring further attention. Since the Royal Commission delivered its final report three years ago, significant improvements have been made in the aged care system. However, the report reveals that many older Australians still encounter significant obstacles when trying to access quality care. These obstacles often stem from service rationing and difficulties in navigating the system to obtain timely and appropriate care.
Focus on Access and Navigability
One of the report’s central themes is the issue of ‘access and navigability’. This area received particular scrutiny as approximately 60 of the Royal Commission’s recommendations pertain to it. The Inspector-General acknowledges that while there have been efforts to enhance access to aged care, many Australians still struggle with understanding how to access services and face delays in receiving care. This is a critical area for reform, as it directly impacts the quality of life and well-being of older Australians.
Recommendations for Reform
The Inspector-General’s findings advocate for several key reforms:
- Transition to a Seamless, Demand-Driven System: A fundamental recommendation of the Royal Commission was the shift towards a needs-based system where care is provided based on assessed needs rather than available resources. The current system remains rationed, and the Inspector-General expresses concern that the new Aged Care Act and Support at Home Program, while promising, still adhere to this rationed approach. There is a strong call for the government to implement a needs-based system to ensure that all individuals with assessed needs receive timely and appropriate care.
- Enhancing Public Understanding and Access: The report identifies a pressing need for improved public understanding of aged care services. Many individuals still find the process of accessing care complex and opaque. The Inspector-General highlights the necessity for more robust face-to-face support and further refinement of the My Aged Care website. Despite some improvements, these resources need to be more comprehensive and user-friendly to effectively assist those seeking care.
- Ensuring High-Quality, Enablement-Focused Care: The Inspector-General underscores the importance of delivering high-quality, enablement-focused care that aligns with individuals’ preferences and diverse needs. This involves not only meeting basic care requirements but also ensuring that care services are designed to enhance the quality of life for recipients.
- Improving Integration Between Health and Aged Care Systems: The report emphasises the need for better integration between the healthcare system and aged care services. Currently, there are gaps in access to healthcare for individuals in residential care settings. The Inspector-General advocates for a more cohesive approach that ensures individuals receive comprehensive care, including allied health services.
Detailed Observations and Areas for Improvement
Several critical areas were examined in depth:
- System Architecture and Access: The Inspector-General is disappointed that the new Aged Care Act and Support at Home Program do not fully embrace the Royal Commission’s recommendations for a demand-based system. The current ration-based model means that many older Australians continue to face delays or are unable to access necessary care. The report advocates for a paradigm shift to a system where access to care is guaranteed based on need.
- Workforce Challenges: Workforce shortages in aged care are a persistent issue. The report acknowledges the recent funding increases but calls for a systemic review to address these shortages comprehensively. The Inspector-General highlights the need for a strategic approach to workforce development, including measures to support the attraction, retention, and development of aged care professionals.
- Healthcare and Allied Health Access: There is a need for a greater policy focus on integrating healthcare with aged care. The report notes that access to health services in residential care settings often falls short. The Inspector-General suggests that the government review funding arrangements and consider policy changes to ensure that allied health services are adequately funded and accessible.
- Dementia Support: The complexity of dementia care requires further attention. While some reforms are underway, the report calls for improved access to specialist dementia services and mandatory dementia-specific training for aged care staff. Enhancing awareness and access to dementia support pathways is crucial for meeting the needs of those living with dementia.
- Support for First Nations Australians: The Inspector-General highlights the need for culturally safe, trauma-aware care for First Nations Australians. The report commends recent funding commitments but stresses the importance of ongoing consultation with First Nations communities to ensure that their specific needs are met in the reformed aged care system.
- Diversity and Regional Access: The report notes that the current reforms for improving access to aged care for diverse populations and those in regional, rural, and remote areas have been somewhat piecemeal. The Inspector-General advocates for a more integrated approach that addresses the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQI+ individuals, and people with disabilities within the core framework of aged care reform.
Conclusion and Future Directions
In conclusion, the 2024 Progress Report presents a compelling case for continued and enhanced reform in the aged care sector. The Inspector-General calls for the government to:
- Fully implement a needs-based aged care system, as recommended by the Royal Commission.
- Finalise and enact the new Aged Care Act without further delay.
- Provide additional funding to meet the rising demand for home care services.
- Build sector confidence through improved stakeholder engagement and transparency.
- Address perverse incentives and ensure that funding models are sufficient and effective.
The report reflects a significant step forward in evaluating the progress of aged care reforms, but it also highlights that substantial work remains to be done. The Inspector-General’s detailed observations and recommendations provide a roadmap for achieving a more effective, equitable, and responsive aged care system that truly meets the needs of older Australians.
The Government needs to recognise the cogs of aged care. They need to experience what it takes to be responsible for for up to 20 residents a day by only 2 staff members and meet the needs and dignity of these residents.
They need to experience the physical aspects involved, the machinery that needs to be used on non- ambulant residents.
If there is no chance of more staff to resident ratio’s as also, in hospitals, then there is always going to be a shortage in staffing levels, more injuries and worst of all, all our beautiful elderly, who deserve quality care to its highest level are the ones that are impacted the most.
The majority of carer’s are amazing humans
Staff per resident ratio is where it starts and ends, This is what is broken.
Fix it!
Hi as an older person with friends in aged care and as a Consumer Representative I was pleased to receive this information however I was really disappointed to see the dreadful depictions of older people in the accompanying computer generated picture.
Given the excellent information and advocacy you promote, how did the editorial team use such a demeaning image of older people?
Best Wishes Anna
B
Fully agree!! I am literally begging you to stop using horrendous AI art, it takes away from your credibility hugely.
It’s cruelly ironic that in an environment where you’re trying to celebrate people you are simultaneously insulting all the hardworking graphic designers and artists attempting to claw back a living in an increasingly prohibitive, AI-filled world.
This report restates the conclusions of the Royal Commission which are now some four years old . The fact that it appears we are no further advanced in the legislation for these reforms is a clear indication of the lack of commitment of the Minister for caged Care and the importance the government gives our care.