Home Care Reforms
and Beyond

Reforms

Home Care Reforms

At Home - Independent and in Control

Remaining independent and in control, living at home and connected to your community.

The Commonwealth has allocated $7.5 billion to enable:

  • Up to 80,000 additional Home Care Packages
  • increased support for informal and family carers
  • additional support for elderly Australians to find the aged care services they need
  • increased Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission checks on home care providers
  • pricing transparency to ensure value for money in the home care space

The Commonwealth will develop a new support at home program.

Funding will boost residential respite services and early referrals to Carer Gateway services.

Respite will also be improved through care planning for people living with dementia, residential facility training and early intervention assistance.

The My Aged Care website and contact centre will continue to be a key entry point and source of information for services and supports. People navigating the aged care system will also gain help from face-to-face aged care specialists and Community Care Finders.

Home Care Reforms Timetable

  • 40,000 more home care pacakages to be available
  • Elderly Australians able to access assistance and information about aged care through 325 service centres, and aged care specialists in 70 "Services Australia" centres
  • Extra support for informal carers

  • 40,000 more home care pacakages to be available
  • Respite services for 8,400 additional clients

  • 500 Local Community Care Finders provide targeted, specialist face-to-face support to elderly Australians to help them access aged care and connect with other health and social supports
  • Elderly Australians can access a new support at home program
  • Single assessment workforce will expand to the new support at home program

  • New support at home program supports senior Australians to stay in their homes and keep connected to their communities
  • Single assessment workforce will continue assessments for the new support at home program

Urgent Aged Care Placement

Do you need to arrange an immediate aged care placement?
Arrange the Placement Now

Aged Care Star Rating System


Where can I find the Star Ratings?

From , the Government has started to use the STAR RATING system for registered aged care homes (new homes will be allocated a Star Rating after 12 months of operation).

Star Ratings are displayed on the Aged Care Provider Search within the My Aged Care website.

The Star Rating is based upon 5 levels with the middle rating denoting only a minimum baseline of ‘Acceptable’ care quality and services.


Continuous Improvement

The Star Rating System has revealed that 41 % of aged care homes are performing at a 5-star (excellent) or 4-star (good) level.

Star Ratings also reveal that astonishingly 5 % are performing below the minimum standards set, receiving a dismal and disturbing (Improvement Needed) or (Significant Improvement Needed) Star Rating.


Star Rating Support

We support full public disclosure of those aged care homes that are making the effort to exceed the regulated standards and community expectations.

We also support the naming of aged care homes that do not currently provide quality levels of aged care services to the frail elderly and vulnerable members of our community.

The Star Rating system is a key component of the aim for continuous improvement to our aged care system.


Total Homes in each Star Rating level



Excellent
54 homes
2.16 %



Good
964 homes
38.56 %



Acceptable
1357 homes
54.28 %



Improvement Needed
119 homes
4.76 %



Major Improvement
6 homes
0.24 %


TOTAL Homes

2500

Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

Summary of Recommendations and Download the Complete Report