Far North Coast aged care delays to be targeted
The Far North Coast is being targeted by a new mobile Rapid Response Team which will be set up to help older Australians who have been waiting to be assessed for vital government funded aged care, the Federal Minister for Ageing and Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot, has announced.
The $250,000 pilot is part of a $1 million boost to cut assessment waiting times for older Australians in ‘black spots’.
To gain access to aged care services, a person must usually be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team.
The rapid response team is expected to target far northern NSW and northern Sydney. It will then move to other priority areas across Australia.
“One of the worst affected areas is Manly-Warringah where there can be a wait of up to 13 months for an assessment to access a community care package. In other parts of the state – Hornsby, Sydney’s eastern suburbs and the Far North Coast NSW — people are waiting up to three months,” Mrs Elliot said.
“The new Rapid Response Team is headed by an experienced assessment team manager with nursing qualifications who is supported by aged care experts/allied health workers.
“Under the system inherited from the previous government, older Australians have been waiting up to three months for assessments.”
Earlier this month, Mrs Elliot met with the NSW Health Minister, Ms Reba Meagher, to discuss the issue.
It is the first stage of the Rudd Government’s response to a national review of Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATS) begun by the previous government.
“Frail older Australians deserve to be assessed quickly so they can get appropriate aged care and help,” Mrs Elliot said.
“The sooner people are assessed the sooner they can get help – it is as simple as that. It is unacceptable that aged-care residential beds are vacant and community packages are not being used while people are waiting for assessment.”
The National Review of Aged Care Assessment Teams report, which was commissioned under COAG leadership, can be viewed on the Department of Health and Ageing’s web site at:
