Extension of Time to consider the Exposure Draft – Aged Care Bill 2023

The Exposure Draft Bill was released shortly before Christmas 2023, when people were otherwise occupied, and many will be absent over January. The Exposure Draft is a highly complex document, which few, if any, as yet understand. It has wide-ranging effects on the lives of participants, including health, mobility and financial aspects. It must not be rushed through, and obviously requires extensive consultation with participants.

The current deadline to submit feedback is by 7 pm AEDT, Friday 16 February 2024.
Edit: Extended to 8th March 2024.

Many people affected do not access the internet and require opportunities by other means to read and consider the Draft. The guiding principle, of course, must always be “Nothing About Us, Without Us”.

Of particular concern is that the Draft is unclear as to mechanisms for enforcing participants’ rights before an independent umpire such as a court or tribunal. Without such mechanisms, any “rights” contained in the Draft would clearly be empty tokenism with no genuine effect.

Foreign and domestic commercial providers seem to have enjoyed a lengthy period of direct input to the Taskforce shaping the Draft, and opportunities to promote their views in the public media, whereas the document was only released as a fait accompli a few days prior to Christmas. Inevitably, that situation cannot be other than untenably one-sided and inequitable.

Proposed new Aged Care Act leaves gaps in rights
By Stephen Duckett Jan 12, 2024

A New Aged Care Act
Department of Health and Aged Care

Mid term Aged Care Report card: 5/10 – must try harder
By Kathy Eagar and Les MacDonald Feb 5, 2024

The new Aged Care Bill 2023: understanding its potential impact on governance and boards
Hall & Wilcox 9 February 2024

New Aged Care Act: exposure draft consultation
Dr Carmel Laragy University of Melbourne February 2024
The Exposure Draft needs to be read in conjunction with the draft Aged Care Quality Standards. When considered together, the two documents do not support the principles espoused in the Exposure Draft. Choice, control, and responsibility are removed from older people and their families and transferred to registered providers, under the guise of ‘safety and service quality’. ...(more in link).

Proposed Legislative Changes

Foundations of the Aged Care Act Joint Submission
National organisations working with older people and carers September 2023

A New Progam for In-Home Aged Care
Discussion Paper October 2022

Reforming In-Home Aged Care
Dept. Health & Aged Care

A Summary of Results of a Survey on the Mental Health of Home Care Package Recipients and Carers following changes in Aged Care in 2023/24.
March 2024

Authors: Brian Corless, retired Clinical Psychologist and HCP recipient and Robert Savellis, Senior Legal/Healthcare Business Analyst and Carer.

Home care faces existential threat
Community Care Reviews 4th May 2022

Aged care reform roadmap
Department Health & Aged Care

Choice versus voice
Inside Story - Why money won’t fix Australia’s broken social services model 22nd June 2023

Joint submission - National organisations working with older people and carers
March 2024

A New Aged Care Act: the foundations Consultation paper

No. 1
8th August 2023

A new Aged Care Act: exposure draft Consultation paper No. 2 December 2023

Aged Care Task Force

Current Legislation

Have Your say on the reforms

Support at Home program
Department of Health & Ageing 28 February 2024

A new Aged Care Act: Exposure draft May 2024

Consultation feedback report

Establishment of a National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program for in-home aged care services – Consultation paper.
This document provides information about the public consultation that is now open on new in-home care quality indicators for the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program.