Logan seniors counting down the days until the introduction of “once-in-a-generation” aged care reforms will be waiting longer now the release has been delayed four months.
New “support at home” aged care packages, designed to help older people live at home for longer, were set to be released as part of a new Aged Care Act on 1 July 2025.
But now the date has been deferred to 1 November.
The Australian government says the extra four months will allow a smoother transition from the existing home-care packages, particularly for providers grappling with the impending changes.
The long-awaited changes to at-home options, devised in response to the 2018 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, will include support for seniors to maintain independence – such as access to allied health, assistive technology and home modifications – new classification and budget levels to better meet a person’s aged care needs, and participant contributions set by the government.
The new Act will “put the rights of older people first”, the government says.
For the first time, older people will have a “statement of rights”, and support providers will follow a “statement of principles”.
Recipients will have access to more complex levels of clinical care (nursing, occupational therapy), independence (help with showing, getting dressed, transport) and everyday living (cleaning, gardening, shopping).
They will also make greater means-tested contributions to their packages. The government has confirmed a “no worse off” principle will mean people already in the system won’t need to make a greater contribution to their care.
Federal Minister for Health Mark Butler said the reforms were “ambitious”.
“These are once-in-a-generation reforms, which put older Australians at the centre of aged care,” he said.
“We want to make sure that all operational, digital and legislative pieces are in place before the rollout starts.
“This brief deferral allows providers to train their staff and have conversations with their clients, get their IT systems ready and prepare operations for an orderly transition.”
The new aged care minister, Sam Rae, said the delay would allow program recipients extra time to better understand the changes.
“… so you can prepare and make informed decisions,” she said.
However, the main reason for the delay was to give the government and providers enough time to prepare for the transition, including finalising key operational and digital processes, and putting together implementation guidance and training.
