Consumer directed care program pilot

South Australian aged care provider ACH Group, will give some senior citizens using its home care services more control over how the Federal funding they receive is spent.

The trial would see 20 persons receiving Commonwealth-funded package of care making an informed choice on the services and spending.
 
The trial starts on 1 July in the north-east region of Adelaide, where ACH offers in-home care services to about 300 seniors.
 
The decision to trial the process comes amid talk of a radical overhaul of the sector, where the Federal Government is likely to hand over vouchers of up to $50,000 directly to seniors and their families.
 
The process would be a learning curve for most service providers and aged people, ACH chief executive, Dr Mike Rungie said.

“The basic idea is that the Government and industry want to give more choice to people staying in aged care homes,” Mr Rungie said.

“It would be a great success if it gets older people more interested in broadening their horizons and planning more activities,” he said.

Currently, aged care homes are subsidised, on average, at about $42,880 a year for a high-care resident and $15,565 for a low-care resident. Most of the people in aged care receive some support and are financially disadvantaged.

Mr Rungie said the aged care system was not as customer-focused as it can be, but the potential changes “may not be everybody’s cup of tea”. The proposal would need a cautious approach, with “no risks to the viability of aged care providers”, Mr Rungie said.

The proposal to overhaul the system has come from Warren Hogan, author of a landmark report on aged care funding for the previous Howard Government. A spokesman for the Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, has confirmed the minister was looking at the issue of “consumer-directed care”.

Council On The Ageing Seniors Voice, chief executive Ian Yates, said he was in favour of consumers having more control.

“The Government needs to make sure the choice is available to everyone in need of it,” Mr Yates said.

Currently, seniors opting for aged care services are evaluated by an Aged Care Assessment Team, which determines the level of care they need. Once they are in an aged care home, the provider then uses what is known as the Aged Care Funding Instrument to set the amount the government will provide.