New Aged Care Act under review

The release of the exposure draft of the new Aged Care Act has been welcomed by Dementia Australia.

The federal government is aiming to put older people at the centre of the aged care system, by moving towards a human rights-based approach.

“More than two-thirds (68.1%) of aged care residents have moderate to severe cognitive impairment and two in three people with dementia live in the community,” said Maree McCabe AM, CEO Dementia Australia.

“With this high prevalence, there must be a focus on people living with dementia when it comes to aged care services, both in home care and residential aged care.

“Dementia Australia will be reviewing the draft legislation to ensure it responds to the needs of people living with dementia, their families and carers and is consistent with our submission to the previous consultation earlier this year.”

Key features of the proposed Act include creating a single entry-point to make access to the aged care system easier, introducing strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, strengthening the powers of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and introducing criminal penalties that may apply in situations where service providers breach the law.

McCabe said that this information would be shared with people who live with dementia — as well as their carers and loved ones — to ensure that they are supported to participate in the consultation process.

“I encourage older people, their families and the community to register for the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) webinar on 9 January 2024, “What’s at Stake?”, where the Exposure Draft of the new Aged Care Act will be discussed," McCabe said.

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