Skip to content (press Enter)

Aged care rescue support package

Date published: Friday 1 May 2020

Category(ies): Media release

What we need right now to stay open and keep older people safe

The aged care sector is united in proposing a package of urgent measures to keep the 1.3 million people in its care and its 360,000 workers safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many providers were already at risk of collapse prior to the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis is pushing us even closer to breaking point. These are unprecedented times and aged care providers are at the frontline of protecting the safety of their residents, clients, visitors and staff.

The urgent rescue measures required during COVID-19:

  1. Protect residential aged care residents - $15 per day, per resident, for six months to meet increased direct care costs

  2. Provide flexible support for home care recipients - $10 per day, per client, for six months to meet increased direct care costs

  3. Keeping older people, family and community connected - $500 million pool of funds for information technology measures and training to reduce social isolation and loneliness

  4. Support and expand the aged care workforce - A pandemic workforce fund to support staff forced to isolate and reduce infection risk to older Australians

  5. Make sure aged care is there when it is needed - Securing Refundable Accommodation Deposits and making improvements to the Aged Care Funding Instrument to keep providers financially viable and available for those who need them

The first priority of providers is to protect the older people in our care and the workforce that cares for them. We will always take the best advice of health authorities and do everything possible to implement effective and compassionate visitor restrictions.

The sector desperately needs this support from government to help them do their job and ensure senior Australians across the country receive the care they need and deserve.