What are the Aged Care Reforms?

To improve consumer understanding of the quality and safety of care of individual residential care homes, star ratings are being introduced.

Star Ratings provide information about quality of care in residential aged care services through an overall Quality Rating of 5 stars.

What do the stars mean?

Aged care homes receive Star Ratings between 1 and 5 stars.

Significant improvement needed.
 Improvement needed.
 An 'acceptable' quality of care.
A 'good' quality of care.
 An 'excellent' quality of care.

The sub-categories below contribute to the overall Quality Rating based on preferences of older Australians, residential aged care providers and expert opinion:

• Residents’ Experience
• Compliance
• Staffing
• Quality Measures

Star ratings will help older Australians and their families make an informed choice about care.  Star Ratings will be published on the 'Find a Provider' section of the My Aged Care website from December 2022.

Quality Standards

New quality standards have also been introduced for residential care and home care providers.

The National Aged Care Quality Indicators help residential and home care providers to measure and monitor their performance against the quality standards - ensuring providers focus on achieving quality care outcomes for aged care recipients. They describe what people can expect from their provider, and the actions their provider will take to support them to live a quality life they deserve.

The Aged Care Commission regularly assess provider performance against the Quality Standards.

Residential Care

A new funding model called the Australian National Age Care Classification, or AN-ACC, has been introduced, replacing the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI).

Each resident in residential aged care receives government funding based on their assessed care needs.  This can range anywhere from $200 a day up to $350 per day depending on care need.

The AN-ACC price includes additional funding to increase average care minutes to 200 minutes, including 40 minutes with a registered nurse.

Home Care

This year an additional 40,000 home care packages have been released by the Commonwealth meaning that more Australian will qualify to receive support and services to live at home for longer.

In order to improve access to aged care support that remains responsive to the changing needs of older Australians, a new ‘Support at Home Program’ has been introduced.

Using a single assessment tool, the new program will provide independently assessed support plans to older Australians based on their aged care needs and personal circumstances.

This means that people are more likely to remain living safely and independently in the comfort of their own homes for longer.

A workforce that is continually upskilled is critical to ensure the very best of care. That’s why the reforms are supporting and growing an improved, skilled workforce through the Home Care Workforce Plan.

At Southern Cross Care (WA) we are focused on the attraction, recruitment, retention and ongoing development of a highly skilled work force that provides the very best of care.

Governance of all providers is being strengthened through new legislation and standards – keeping all providers accountable to the same high standards that older people should expect.