Aged Care Insite Australia's number one aged care news source
The federal government has rejected accusations it limited access to medication and walking assistance in its updated Home Care Package manual.
On Tuesday, The Daily Telegraph reported that the government's new guidelines, which were issued on January 13, had slashed home care support for up to 215,000 recipients nationwide.
The story said Australians receiving home care would be 'forced to pay thousands for basics such as medication and mobility scooters.'
Aged care minister Anika Wells responded to the accusations on Twitter, saying 'the reports are incorrect and misleading.'
"If a provider has been supplying services or goods that are not within the scope of the aged care program, it is the provider's responsibility to talk to the home care recipient to adjust their home care package," a department spokesman told The Guardian.
Aged Care Insite spoke with 77-year-old Diane, who is currently on a level two package.
She was diagnosed with a dysfunctional immune system disease in her mid-forties which has greatly impacted her day-to-day life.
After reading the news, Diane dove into the manual to look at it herself.
She noticed they'd removed many services that previously had been routinely provided.
"The things they've removed may not seem much to some, such as aircon, carpet cleaning and microwaves, but they mean a lot to others," Diane said.
"Like so many other [older] Australians [with chronic illnesses], we don't have many savings to fall back on to.
"So, we budget for these things and rely on them for our health and quality of life."
Diane said she was angered by the Aged Care Minister's denial that she'd been 'misleading older Australians.'
"She's blaming the providers for giving things to recipients that they were not supposed to provide," Diane said.
"But if the providers have been at fault for all these years, the question surely is, 'what were the auditors doing who are supposed to pick things up?'
"Why pick on us – go and pick on something else where you can cut costs."
Following Tuesday's media reports of cut home care costs, the health department published an updated HCP manual on their website on Wednesday.
"Transparency is key to improving aged care," Wells said on Twitter.
"We updated the HCP manual to provide clearer guidance on the existing rules."
Yet, the term 'age-related cognitive decline' stayed in the guidelines, restricting recipients with non-age related illnesses from accessing allied health.
For example, people living with diabetes could be denied access to physiotherapy as part of their package.
Australian Physiotherapy Association chief Scott Willis said he had not received any reports of allied health services being denied by providers due to the revised HCP manual.
Earlier last year, Wells announced the existing HCP program would be replaced in July 2024 by a new scheme called in-home aged care.
"Rest assured, no one will be left behind or lose any services they currently have in place in this new timeline," she said.
"If anything, with more than $9.5 billion in funding this financial year going towards in-home care support, older Australians will see real improvements in in-home care support well before July 2024."
Shadow aged care minister Anne Ruston called on the government to 'clarify whether recipients will not have their HCP negatively impacted by these changes.'
"The government is attempting to mislead older Australians and aged care stakeholders by downplaying the panic this new information has caused," she said.
The opposition examined the issue during Senate estimates yesterday.
Do you have an idea for a story?Email [email protected]
Get the news delivered straight to your inbox
Receive the top stories in our weekly newsletter Sign up now
I’m on Level 3. Have been receiving via an ARPHRA reg Chinese Dr via script and assessment, Chinese Herbal Medicine and via the Aged Care Package treatment by way of herbs for over a year.
No where does it say on Page 70 and 71 of the Guidline Handbook for Providers, that Eastern Chinese Medicine is denied or exempt. On the items listed under the Heading of partially or fully covered Govt PBS items it does state Tai chi is claimable via a Dr! This is very discriminatory as nowhere in the Govt Reforms is it mentioned and that they are part of the research and trial based evidence being conducted as it states a lot of them are quackery etc.
I cannot take Western meds due to biologics interfering with biological degradable mesh put in and cannot for at least 2 years due to healing and interference with RA biologics causing the mesh to malfunction. At great expense under the public system I was lucky enough to receive this special mesh and would have been good to get a positive outcome as no clinical trials to date are completed.
The case mgr needs to be educated about the legislation that has not changed and person centred outcomes and services. I am left with no medication and most likely end up in a nursing home as I have a chronic condition and without atvl3ast that treatment will end up a burden on the system
OPAN tried to explain, it’s a Guide only, and must do an Individual Assessment. This is partly the fault of whoever wrote the Guidlines leaving out Eastern medication wherein it needs to be clearly stated.
The Provider has a sister company Chinese specific clientele so no
Western medicine is included in that list but not Eastern. Does that mean that every person under their care mgt package is unable to receive treatment.? Because the Provider is saying no to me and part of that group of companies.
The provider made a decision advising that no medicines are claimable to OPAN and when Aged Care phoned we were all on the call together she was rude etc and the Aged Care Representative terminated the call with Zero outcome.
This needs to be clarified clearly that it is acceptable and claimable under the package, by an ARPRAH reg Dr and is outside the exemption of PBS system. This also needs to be clarified Australia wide to all Providers. A vast majority of Chinese will be denied their Traditional medical treatment. Please take a look at what I’ve pointed out and clearly state what is covered also as I’ve heard many are going through the same thing, because the Providers are using those Guidlines as a Firm base and denying individuals treatment when this service is not even on the PBS.
We can’t even get a basic my aged care help at home going. Level 2 is worth 3 hours per week. Where do microwaves and aircon come into it. The Govt don’t and should be providing appliances that’s what family it saving is for
I have a level 3 age care package i am 76 and need basic things like glasses because of my diabetes they are harder to see with every year I also need carpets cleaned just some of the basic stuff to make it liveable in my house there is
Much more but I have no faith that the basic needs of elderly people are being taken seriously be very careful because old age is something that will effect everyone hopefully