Ageing Australia is warning more than 830,000 older Australians receiving Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services will be left in limbo, following an 11th hour decision to require new service agreements, making transition to the new Aged Care Act on 1 July impossible.
Surprise new obligations on providers now require service agreements with every CHSP care recipient for the very first time, yet the rules to create the contracts are still to be finalised.
“Being ready for the new Act was already near impossible, but this new decision crosses the line, making it truly impossible,” Ageing Australia CEO Tom Symondson said.
“The goal posts have been moved. This new requirement has come out of nowhere, was called for by nobody and there has been no consultation.”
“More than 830,000 older Australians will be left in limbo unless something changes urgently. There will be widespread confusion for community care recipients, their families and providers alike, with a very real risk that hundreds of thousands of older people will miss out on the vital services they require.”
Currently there are no obligations for CHSP providers to have service agreements with recipients. This means that providers, already snowed under by the requirements of transitioning to the new Act, will have to create and negotiate 830,000 agreements before 1 July when the rules outlining what those agreements must look like are not yet even finalised.
“If the Government insists on doing this, which we don’t think is necessary, it needs to provide the sector with transition timelines of at least 12 months. There should also be exemptions for very small providers, particularly for those with grants as small as $10,000 operating in rural areas.
Many CHSP care recipients have never had to sign agreements. The new requirements will be wide ranging and include those receiving even very small amounts of support, such as occasional transport to medical appointments or a few meals a week from a Meals on Wheels provider.
“The interaction with the system is very small for a large number of older people receiving services under the CHSP, but critical in keeping them independent and living in their own homes. Additional red tape and unnecessary, formal agreements will likely make many avoid services altogether, including those most in need,” Mr Symondson said.
On top of caring for older Australians day in, day out, providers have been struggling to overhaul entire systems, replacing complex ICT infrastructure and moving to new requirements. However, the final information required to complete this process for the new Aged Care Act is still not available. This latest change may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
