THE Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) and Palliative Care Australia (PCA) welcomed the passage of the Aged Care Act through parliament last week.
The new Aged Care Act 2024 aims to improve the way services are delivered to older people in their homes, community settings and residential aged care homes.
In contrast to the legislation it is replacing, the new Act puts older people who need aged care at the centre of the system, empowering them more to exercise their rights when accessing, or looking to access, government-funded aged care services.
OPAN Director, Policy and Systemic Advocacy, Samantha Edmonds, described it as "a historic moment, enshrining the rights of older people in legislation".
"This has been a long time coming, and we thank the Parliament for passing this important legislation before the end of the year," Edmonds said.
"We have long advocated for a rights-based Act which puts older people at the centre of the legislation, and we have achieved that," she added.
"We are pleased to see that there will be a positive duty on providers to understand and deliver services to older people in line with the statement of rights."
However, Edmonds noted, there is more work to be done.
"Reform of this scale will take time to implement -- and we need to ensure the rules uphold the rights of older people.
"OPAN will continue to work closely with the Government, our fellow peaks and aged care providers on the implementation of the Act, ensuring older people are engaged in the process."
Similarly, PCA noted that the Act is a "significant step forward in making sure palliative care is embedded within aged care", but says implementation will be key to its success.
"The Aged Care Act has been a critical step in delivering on the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission," said Camilla Rowland, CEO of PCA.
"Now that the work is done, we need to focus on implementation -- and making sure palliative care is part of the day-to-day work of aged care services."
Of the 185,000 people living in residential aged care, 92% would benefit from palliative care.
However, only 3% see a palliative care doctor in their first year following admission, and only one in three receive a GP assessment in that year. KB
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