In the biggest change to government benefits since Medicare, Australia's $22 billion a year National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) begins its roll-out on Friday. It will double the level of public spending on disability and will create a contestable market for services worth an estimated $16 billion a year. "It marks a huge change," said Bruce Bonyhady, chairman of the National Disability Insurance Agency, which runs the NDIS. "We are moving from a fragmented and underfu

Australia has few policies to specifically help senior citizens from culturally-diverse backgrounds lead fruitful lives, researchers and multicultural organisations have said. Australia has both a multicultural and ageing society, with the population aged over 75 years expected to grow significantly over coming decades. Dr Daniela Cosmini-Rose, from Flinders University, has studied the Italian-born community in South Australia, which along with being one of the state's larges

The current debate around the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) has once again led to calls for a cost of care study. A number of players are now calling for a review of ACFI changes as the industry feels the squeeze of yet another decrease in funding. But is this anything new? Aged care funding has never kept pace with cost increases, with annual ACFI reimbursement increases of around 1.5 per cent compared to wage and other cost increases of 3 to 5 per cent per annum. This

Independent Senator for South Australia Nick Xenophon will today call for a Senate inquiry into aged care funding, following the government’s controversial changes to the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI). Senator Xenophon has previously stated he would oppose the budget cuts, joining with the Greens in attempting to block the measures. Last December the government announced it was cutting subsidies on certain claims in the complex health care domain to save $472 million ov

Mature age employment, dementia and palliative care are among the areas featured in the Greens aged care policy, released yesterday. The Greens said it would spend $5 million over three years for a national strategy to ensure participation of mature age workers, while $137 million would be spent on dementia and $76 million on palliative care. Our special online series The National Aged Care Alliance (NACA), the coalition of 48 aged care organisations representing aged care pr

Waiting times for aged care have blown out in WA amid concerns looming funding cuts will make it harder for the chronically sick to get places. The aged care industry has released Productivity Commission figures showing 44 per cent of those needing residential care in WA waited more than three months for a place last financial year, compared with 35 per cent three years ago. On average, people waited 76 days for a permanent place in WA, above the national average of 68 days.

AUSTRALIA’S rapidly-ageing population is leading to a surge in the need for in-home care, and the numbers suggest that everyone’s a winner. Aged care experts say elderly Australians prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible, which eases the financial pressure on Federal Government funding of aged care homes as the number of over-65s jumps from 3.6 million to 6.2 million over the next two decades. They say that last year’s introduction of consumer directed care gives p

Martin and Sarah Warner have combined a lucrative business model with a passion for care and compassion to create something truly special. The pair’s business, Home Instead Senior Care, which they began in 2004, now has a national network of 25 independently owned and operated offices in Australia with over 1,600 employees. Given Australia’s ageing population, in-home care is on the rise with nursing homes considered too expensive to meet the needs of seniors who are living l

Senior Australians and financial planners are calling for aged care financial advice to be regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as the financial arrangements for nursing homes become increasingly complex. Earlier this month Estia Health became the latest aged care provider to charge an additional fee for residents who choose to pay for their accommodation in a lump sum, rather than in instalments. The way in which such asset replacement fees are l

The effect of applying for funding through the NDIS on compensation received following a court order/settlement in relation to a disability can provide many challenges. The legislation has provided for this scenario in order to avoid the possibility of “double dipping”. It is reassuring to note that people who are eligible for NDIS may receive funded supports and services despite receiving compensation from another organisation, such as the Traffic Accident Commission or Spin