Thursday 4 December 2008

The Federal Government should give frail older Australians greater choices in aged care by establishing a one-stop shop for all aged care assessment and entry processes, Catholic Health Australia (CHA) said this week.

Speaking at a health reform conference in Tasmania, CHA chief executive Martin Laverty revealed a proposal to overhaul the aged care assessment process.

"CHA's submission this week to the Senate Inquiry into Residential and Community Care demonstrates that the current system offers limited choice to consumers and no guarantee of continuity of care as their needs change," Mr Laverty said.

"All older Australians who need care should be given the right to choose whether to receive that care in their own home, or in a residential aged care facility.

"Bringing the aged care assessment, admission, and funding processes together in a one-stop shop would improve consistency in applying assessment criteria, widen the choices available to all frail older Australians, and ensure continuity of care."

Currently there are three different levels of funding for Commonwealth community care in the home, and more than 60 levels of funding for residential aged care. Not every provider of community care is registered to provide every level of care.

"Under the current system, if a person receiving care in their own home has to move from a low level of care to a higher level of care, they may have to change care providers," Mr Laverty said.

"People share a unique and intimate relationship with their paid carers. To be forced to take on a new team at a time of heightened physical, emotional or mental vulnerability can be extremely disruptive and upsetting."

Other key recommendations in CHA's submission include:

*Allow for flexible delivery of aged care services responsive to the needs of the individual,

* Require residential aged care facilities to publish bed rental amounts and give consumers more payment choices,

* Fund an acceptable minimum standard to ensure the poor are not disadvantaged, and

* Abolish existing system of allocating aged care places.

The submission - and CHA's Aged Care Policy Blueprint for 2020 - are available at www.cha.org.au.