Industry News

After a few false starts, it’s not unreasonable to wonder if the new ‘strengthened’ Aged Care Quality Standards are set for release still as planned, or if there have been further delays.

Industry peak body, Aged and Community Care Providers Association, wants the current political impasse over the Aged Care Taskforce to end, urging politicians to back the recommendations.

In a country like Australia, we all expect that when we get old, we’ll be able to rely on a robust aged care system. But aged care providers can’t find staff and a crisis is brewing.

Governance continues to be an area of concern for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission with the latest Sector Performance Report revealing that 84% of audited residential care providers fully complied with all eight standards.

The new Aged Care Act’s official introduction to Parliament continues to be delayed as the Federal Government and opposition party argue over two major issues.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission shared insights from its recent 2024 National Aged Care Provider Conference pre-conference workshops.

Councils are seeking a two-year transition plan to help them implement the new Aged Care Act that’s expected to be presented to Parliament in the coming months before coming into effect in mid-2025.

Australia is not producing enough nurses to meet growing demand, with a projected undersupply of just under 80,000 nurses set to place more burden on strained aged care and healthcare sectors.

Aged care’s AN-ACC funding model has come under fire with one regional provider claiming “it’s not working at all” while another said it’s not sustainable, especially for more innovative models of care that look to redefine the publics’ expectation of residential aged care.

Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner, Andrea Kelly, expressed her fears over the current trajectory of the aged care system, sharing that she is worried “we’re not thinking ahead”.