65 years of failing to respond means that the time for change is now!
Written by Rhiannon Nunes, November 27, 2020.
At the end of October, I was fortunate enough to be treated to 4 days of education, idea sharing and networking with some of the amazing humans who make up the aged services sector in Australia at the annual LASA Congress – ‘Better Ageing Futures’ as well as the NextGen Forum, in Adelaide.
‘Better Ageing Futures’ was a great title as it kept the following statistic at the forefront of our minds, reminding us that all the work we do should be viewed through the lens of this:
“By 2027 the percentage of Australia’s population that is over the age of 65 will increase to 18%, which accounts for approximately 5.1 million people. (source Australian Bureau of Statistics - 2017).”
I left feeling engaged, educated, enriched and a little enraged, and I will expand on these more in my next few blogs.
Change
The aged care industry is facing a period of significant change. This process is passionately viewed by most of us. However, change can be scary.
Generally, our attitude towards change is an interesting one and something that is impacted by our own individual history and journey through life. Whether we like it or not, we often bring our personal opinions and attitudes to the table when tackling change.
With our projected population growth, comes a need for change whether we like it or not. That change will need to come at a government, economic, organisational and also a societal level.
While the Royal Commission is highlighting it, this need for change is long overdue. It was raised that significant improvement was needed back in 1954 when Hutchison argued that
“older people were being abandoned and isolated by ‘modernisation’ and that urgent housing and welfare measures were required on their behalf”.
At least 65 years of failing to respond to the needs of the older population means that this is something that cannot just remain a hot topic to be forgotten again.
So, what are we doing about it? Some will argue that we’ve already reached a crisis point, particularly in regard to rural services, CALD & LGBTQI supportive services. What models of care are we going to provide to make care accessible? What will we have in place for when the time comes where nearly 1 in every 5 people is of an age that care of some form may be required?
One of the factors that was reiterated during congress was the need for better funding for the sector and the need for a complete overhaul of ACFI. Minister Colbeck stated that he was aware the funding model needed to “evolve” but the delegates were quick to point out this isn’t enough. A complete overhaul is necessary to effect positive change.
Without question change cannot happen without financial implications.
ACFI is a huge focus for facilities across the country and is often the biggest stressor for staff when documenting, self-auditing and prescribing the funded treatments. The pressure is on to maximise it whenever and wherever possible.
ACFI maximisation in itself is not an altogether negative thing; as with any business, money is what keeps it operational and, in many cases, that funding is being utilised in incredible ways to improve the quality of the experience for the residents and the staff.
However, there is a problem when funding is allocated in such a way that it encourages services or resources for the sake of it, meaning they are altogether unnecessary, contrived or ineffectual.
One of the biggest changes has to be around designing a funding model which supports outcomes that are clinically effective.
Minister Colbeck came out this week and said “funding alone isn’t the answer”. For once, I tend to agree. But an increase in government funding and a better framework for homes to access this funding will assist in creating major change.
There’s no doubt that not everything within the sector has to change. However, after 65 years of inaction, hopefully we can all embrace the opportunity for change that has been presented to us. I look forward to seeing the creation of a more accessible, inclusive and financially viable aged care system in the near future.