aged care legislated review 2016

This submission responds to a Federal Government review of changes made to the aged care system since 2012. The review is a legislated requirement within the Aged Care (Living Longer Living Better) Act 2013. cohealth welcomes the increased emphasis on choice and control for older people. We retain concerns about the impact of system changes on the vulnerable and diverse communities that access many of cohealth’s Commonwealth Home Support Program-funded (previously HACC) programs. The combined effect of changes is that access and equity for diverse groups is reduced and system complexity is increased; Victoria’s highly evolved approaches to system integration and care coordination are undermined; clinical assessments are shifting away from face-to-face contact with professional disciplines towards phone-based assessments with less qualified phone operators. cohealth is concerned that rather than increasing choice and control and supporting people to plan their aged care needs, many people will struggle to engage with the system until they reach a crisis point