Healthy Ageing

By Dr Peter FordThe Government’s much anticipated aged care reform package released on 20 April 2012 received warm accolades from the aged care sector. While the AMA also welcomed the new aged care policy after such a long period of neglect, it was disappointing that access to medical care did not feature more prominently in the reforms.

There have been some wins in the package for issues that the AMA has been lobbying for.

Grants are available to develop models of service to improve access to complex health care services for aged care recipients, and to encourage aged care providers to work more closely with health care providers. The AMA proposal for specific financial support to encourage and subsidise retainer arrangements between aged care providers and medical practitioners could be covered by these grants.

Much of the Government’s aged care package is centred around the concept of people living at home for longer. Living at home allows individuals to age with dignity as an active participant in the community. However, there will need to be some effort to ensure that the quality of care for this group of individuals is not diminished. There are aspects of the aged care reform package that present the opportunity to address quality of care in the home setting. The Government has allocated $58.5 million over five years to enhance multidisciplinary care and access to primary health care for aged care recipients

There is also $54.8 million allocated to expanding access to respite services and other carer support.  The AMA has been lobbying for more respite places and medical practitioner authorisation of access to subsidised respite care in emergency circumstances. The additional funding for respite care could cover both these measures.

The Government announcement on the aged care reform package included an express commitment to improve access to general practitioners through the use of video consultations. But the commitment in the Budget papers is less clear, with the Government instead referring to trials that may simply reflect the existing funding allocated under the National Broadband Network Telehealth Pilots Program. The AMA will continue to seek specific Medicare Benefits Schedule items for general practitioner video consultations in aged care.

The Government has also provided $1.2 billion over five years to address workforce pressures. This should result in sufficient numbers of registered nurses to monitor, assess and adequately care for residents of aged care facilities, and to liaise with medical practitioners.

The AMA will work hard to ensure these measures are implemented to improve access to medical care and quality care for older Australians living at home and in residential aged care.