Aged Care Minister urges providers to “Hold up your end of the bargain”

A significant $17.5 billion investment into the aged care workforce was announced on Wednesday morning at the ACCPA National Conference 2024 as the Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells called on providers to uphold their end of the bargain by delivering higher quality care.

Minister Wells praised the sector for delivering an additional 3.9 million minutes of care every day and reducing the workforce gap by 66% since 2022, but she said that the sector’s work is not done just yet. 

She also acknowledged she may have stretched the patience of industry leaders after negotiations surrounding the new Aged Care Act went until the 11th hour.

“These reforms are important and older people want them,” Minister Wells said. 

The funding measures proposed in the new Aged Care Act were recommended by the Aged Care Taskforce to deliver a fairer aged care system and to foster quality and innovation.

“By setting the aged care system on a more sustainable financial footing, we hope to improve the sector’s financial viability and attract more private investment.”

The Minister also voiced her approval for several providers that have started new developments. 

However, she remained realistic about the implications if the Aged Care Bill is not passed in 2024. She warned that any delays would leave the sector in limbo — just as it has been for the last few years. 

“The sector has been on a defensive crouch for so long, particularly through COVID-19.”

With significant progress in several key areas, including increased wages for aged care workers, Minister Wells did not ignore the longer-term concerns linked to workforce challenges. 

This led to the announcement of a new professional framework to build and strengthen the aged care workforce, a whole of Government initiative backed by a $17.5 billion investment. 

The professional framework has been developed in consultation with the Department’s Aged Care Workforce Committee to outline the priorities for action to build a valued, skilled and supported workforce that meets the needs and rights of older people. It has eight key focal points:

• Uplifting pay and conditions
• Boosting education and training
• Improving culture
• Building leadership capability
• Building evidence base
• Encouraging innovation
• Improving workforce planning
• Increasing career pathway

Some of the investments outlined in the framework have already been implemented — such as the Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements (ACNCP) Program — with others to come in the next few years, including an Aged Care Nursing Scholarships (ACNS) Program.

The Minister finished by urging providers to uphold their end of the bargain when the new Act is implemented. 

“The Aged Care Act has the potential to make the aged care system better and more capable of delivering the quality, respectable and person-centric care that older people in Australia deserve,” Minister Wells added

“Make no mistake, there is real work to be done by providers. We are doing our part by acting on the Royal Commission and Taskforce recommendations… I need you to hold up your end of the bargain. It is up to the sector to deliver a much higher overall standard of care, to uphold the standard of rights, to fulfil your new duty of care and to deliver all of your care minutes you are funded to deliver.”

The right people need to contribute in the right way

South Australia’s Minister for Human Services and Seniors & Ageing Well Nat Cook provided insight into the host state’s focus on aged care while urging the Federal Government to ensure no one is left behind under the new aged care model.

Ms Cook said South Australia had the highest usage of residential care per capita with the State also at the forefront of home care demand and service provision. The State also has a familiar challenge of too many older people waiting in hospitals for aged care places, resulting in unnecessary delays to their aged care access. 

This is one space where initiatives are underway to reduce the problem with the State Government investing in alternative accommodation options for those waiting for residential care but cannot return home.

Support for an ageing First Nations population is another area they are working to address.

“Where we do have a huge shortage of support, which is a national disgrace, is among our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, our First Nations communities,” Minister Cook said.

“We need to do more than talk about closing the gap, we need to actually close the gap. Voting no [to the referendum] was not an excuse to stop working or stop listening. We have the levers, we need to get the policies right.”

Minister Cook was equally passionate about ensuring there is ongoing and dedicated support to all diverse communities, including those of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds or in the LGBTQI+ community.

She said a focus on inclusion would help reduce social isolation and loneliness, two of the most damaging outcomes for older people. 

Minister Cook also expressed the State Government’s support for the overall aged care reform process but insisted the Federal Government cannot undo “30 years of policy that didn’t have the right attention in two or three years”.

She urged the Federal Government to focus on empowering everyone to access aged care services — not just those with more money.

“Independence supports play an important role in keeping people out of hospital and residential care but if people are given a choice, it’s not about Rita going down the road to buy a coffee. Rita doesn’t have coffee at cafes,” Minister Cook said.

“Rita is flat-out scraping the last grains of coffee out of a tin if she’s lucky. So will Rita choose to pay for a shower ahead of buying some groceries? 

“We have to be sustainable, we have to have co-contributions to some level, but leave Rita alone. She doesn’t have spare money and she will make a choice to feed herself. People will make the choice not to pay the 5% because of other financial pressures and then they will miss out on 100% of that support. The right people need to contribute in the right way.”

The Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Anne Ruston, will speak on Friday morning when she will touch on the opposition party’s vision for the aged care sector.