Not for Profits have welcomed the funding by the Federal Government to better prepare the aged care workforce to care for older Australians.
The Minister for Ageing, Mark Butler has announced $10.2 million to fund 26 projects that he said would tackle many of the challenges aged care workers faced every day such as delivering medications safely, helping patients to live healthy, active lifestyles, and support people with complex needs.
The Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) said that the projects will focus on better integrating the aged care workforce with mainstream community services like GPs, pharmacists and allied health professionals in activities such as safe medication management in the community, complex care coordination in the community and residential aged care.
“ACSA is particularly pleased with the focus on community care as there will be many more people cared for in their own homes into the future – which is what most people want,” ACSA CEO John Kelly said.
“Currently, about 1 million older people use community care services. By 2020 this figure will grow to over 1.4 million so the service system and the skills of the aged care workforce will need to gear up to accommodate this growth, and provide the services people want and need.”
A comprehensive evaluation of the projects will be undertaken to see how workforce reforms can be adopted nationally.
Aged Care Workforce Reform
Funding by stream
| Stream 1 : Building workforce capacity for safe medications management in the community | | Funding | Stream 1: Total funding $750,000 – $250,000 per participant | | Participating projects | 1. Austin Health, Royal District Nursing Service and Monash University, Vic | Public | | 2. Aged and Community Services NSW and Community Industry Training Advisory Board, NSW | NGO | | | 3. Resthaven Incorporated, SA | NGO | | Stream 2 : Building workforce capacity and capability in residential aged care | | Funding | Stream 2: Total funding $4,000,000 – $400,000 per participant | Participating projects | 1. The Corporation of the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane, Qld | NGO | | 2. Catholic Homes for the Elderly, Vic | NGO | | 3. Helping Hand Aged Care Inc, SA | NGO | | 4. Hammond Care, NSW | NGO | | 5. Lend Lease Primelife Ltd, NSW and Vic | Private | | 6. Sydney Anglican Home Mission Society Council, NSW | NGO | | 7. Southern Cross Care, SA and NT | NGO | | 8. St Vincent’s Health & Aged Care Ltd (Caritas), NSW | NGO | | 9. Rural Northwest Health, Vic | Public | | 10. The Bethanie Group, WA | NGO | | Stream 3 : Building workforce capacity to prevent functional decline in the community | | Funding | Stream 3: Total funding $2,000,000 – $250,000 per participant | | Participating projects | 1. Ballina District Community Services Association Inc, NSW | NGO | | 2. CareWest, NSW | NGO | 3. Country Health SA Local Health Network, SA | Public | | 4. Hammond Care, NSW | NGO | | 5. Heathcote Health, Vic | Public | | 6. Hobart District Nursing Service Inc, Tas | NGO | | 7. Kincare Community Services Ltd, NSW | Private | 8. Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA | Public | | Stream 4 : Building workforce capacity in complex care coordination in the community | | Funding | Stream 4: Total funding $2,250,000 – $450,000 per participant | | Participating projects | 1. Alpine Health, Vic | Public | | 2. Ballina District Community Services Association Inc, NSW | NGO | | 3. Hammond Care, NSW | NGO | 4. Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA | Public | | 5. Western Health, Vic |
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I was astounded to find that the training for this certificate is not funded by the employer as this carer group is the lowest paid in Australia doing one of the most important functions looking after our frail and elderly and disabled.
Training is a must and most workers want this training but cannot afford this as any income is taken away from their Centrelink income which then leaves them with little or no income. So these are not dole bludgers as many people have put forth but hard workers and very caring going beyond the call of duty with split shifts not being reimbursed for their petrol
Lets try and have a public campaign and support them and address this issue as they care for your parents as well as mine.
A senate submission would be welcome from anyone else out there who feels this is warranted and a Ministerial as this is what I plan to do as part of my BA of social studies and see what the outcome will be.
Any ideas would be welcome….
Ingrid