Inaccurate aged care information circulating
It is imperative older Australians are provided with correct information regarding their entitlements, after a new survey reveals incorrect or erroneous client notification letters regarding the new residential aged care means testing process which reportedly do not provide the correct calculations for age care recipient’s care and accommodation contributions.
Patrick Reid, LASA chief executive, claims incorrect information, when we are dealing with older Australians who require care, is simply not good enough.
Leading Age Services Australia (LASA), a body for age service providers, has taken its advocacy a step further to ensure older Australians are provided with correct information regarding their entitlements and aged care facilities can operate services; providing care, rather than error checking government data.
A latest member survey data shows almost 80% of providers have received information of an incorrect assessment notification as at 4 October 2014, according to Patrick Reid, LASA chief executive.
LASA has sought further urgent meetings with both Minister for Human Services, Senator Marise Payne and Secretary of Human Services, Kathryn Campbell.
“LASA has been working closely and collaboratively with various Department of Human Services and Department of Social Services senior staff to highlight issues with both the Home Care Payment System and since 1 July the Means and Asset assessment process. LASA members have been providing information from the frontline, but it is now necessary to hear from both the Minister and Secretary as to how this intractable issue will be fixed for good,” Mr Reid says.
“The new residential aged care means testing process has been established for almost five months now and yet we are still seeing incorrect or erroneous client notification letters which do not provide the correct calculations for age care recipient’s care and accommodation contributions. We are also seeing incorrect information being given via the 1800 phone help line. When we are dealing with older Australians who require care, this is simply not good enough.”
According to Mr Reid, aged care providers are also reporting long wait times of up to six or more weeks for residents entering residential aged care to be approved.
“The department has declared a number of response times and as the industry peak body we need an assurance that these times will be met,” he says.
“With robust information being gathered from our members daily we have already and will continue to provide valuable insights to the Department of Human Services. However, this situation appears to be intractable and is time consuming for all concerned.
“I look forward to meeting with both the Minister and Secretary as soon as possible to work through permanent solutions to the issue. By keeping industry strongly in the communications loop we can be proactive and assist older Australians with accurate and helpful information regarding such important life decisions.”
