Deadline extended for new Aged Care Act feedback

Key points:

• An extension for feedback on the new Aged Care Act has been given and will end on Friday, March 8, 2024, at 7pm AEDT

• Major issues in the Aged Care Act Exposure Draft were addressed by the Key Issues Paper, which was released by 12 organisations that work with older people and carers

• There are still workshops available to attend online for free to have your say about the new Aged Care Act

The deadline to provide feedback to the government regarding the New Aged Care Act Exposure Draft has been extended, with final feedback to be received on March 8, 2024. 

The Aged Care Act Exposure Draft was released on December 14, 2023, marking a historic step in the introduction of a rights-based framework for aged care in Australia.

In late January 2024, the Key Issues Paper was released after a consultation between 12 organisations that work with older people and carers to highlight major concerns with the new Aged Care Act. 

Some of the concerns raised by organisations associated with the Key Issues Paper include:

• enforceable rights of older people that address the current power imbalance;
• a robust, independent complaints system;
• transparency of timelines and funding;
• strong regulation and penalties for those found guilty of not upholding the rights of older people.

The government would like to hear from people who may not have yet given feedback — they ‘welcome feedback from everyone with an interest in aged care.’ 

Not only does this include people who are aged care providers and workers, but also older people, their families, volunteers in aged care, researchers and experts. 

There are still two online workshops available to attend free of charge to learn more about the new Aged Care Act and to have your say. 

These are being held online in Microsoft Teams on:

• Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 8am to 10am AEDT
• Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 12pm to 2pm AEDT

To register, you’ll just need to complete a survey to ensure you’re eligible to participate.

It’s recommended that you also read one of the consultation papers regarding the Act to familiarise yourself with the content that will be discussed in the meeting. 

If you would rather provide suggestions and feedback in writing, you can complete the survey or send a response by email or post. 

The extension period for feedback ends on Friday, March 8, 2024, at 7pm AEDT. 

If you are looking to get more information about the new Aged Care Act before responding to the survey, writing an email or a letter, there are still multiple options to equip yourself with the most up-to-date information.

The new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program update was held on December 14, 2023. This was to provide older Australians, their families, carers and aged care providers with information about the new Aged Care and the Support at Home program. A question and answer session was also included.

You can watch the recorded webinar online and read the associated slides to learn more about the Act’s new regulatory model, Aged Care Quality Standards, in-home aged care reforms and the New Aged Care Act Exposure Draft in general.

The Australian government is running an interactive online session next week called Support at Home Q&A for older people, families and carers on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at 1 – 2:30pm AEDT. Nick Morgan, assistant secretary of the Support at Home Reform Branch will host this session and will answer questions that you or your family members may have regarding the new Support at Home program. 

The government has introduced several welcome reform measures, including 24/7 nursing, mandatory minutes of care and increased pay for staff. However, having your say on what you’d like to see in the finalised version of the Aged Care Act could help to positively influence the government’s actions and ensure appropriate care is available for all older Australians.

What suggestions will you make before the final deadline of the Aged Care Act consultation period?

Let the team at Talking Aged Care know and subscribe to the newsletter for weekly news, information and industry updates.

Relevant content:

Major concerns raised with the Aged Care Act Exposure draft

Why Australian nursing homes are becoming more culturally diverse

Australia’s first look the new Aged Care Act