In the latest federal budget, the government has committed almost $18 billion to facilitate massive changes in the Aged Care system. The government accepted 126 of the 148 recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in its final report earlier this year. Some of the upcoming reforms, to be delivered over the next five years, have potentially positive implications for older Australians living with vision loss, including:
- A new aged care act, to encourage provision of services and supports based on need and consumer choice
- A commitment to provide more assistive technology to those who require it
- A new, single assessment pathway and workforce to facilitate entry into the aged care system
- Significant investment in expanding the aged care workforce, including more training places, insentives for nurses, “Community Care Finders” to help people navigate the system, and provision of training and resources to set up culturally safe entry pathways and interfaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
- An extra $10 per bed per day for all aged care residents, and an increase in the amount of contact time they must have with a registered nurse
- A regulation and screening system for all workers across the NDIS, Aged Care and Department of Veterans Affairs.
Read the full summary below: