COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria welcome the opportunity to provide feedback to the Aged Care Taskforce on funding principles for system reform. While these are national issues, COTA Victoria has a vital interest and responsibility to our stakeholders to ensure that reforms respond effectively to the particular profile of the system in Victoria.
The draft Funding Principles presented for consultation cover issues relevant to:
- financing of the system overall by government and others
- allocation of funding to specific programs and participants
- expenditure and accountability for funds used to support individuals.
Our submission emphasises the need for future funding arrangements to be more understandable for participants and their families, allow for greater client direction and take account of participants’ overall financial circumstances.
We urge the Commonwealth to approach Aged Care funding as a social investment with returns based on enabling approaches to care and support to achieve optimal well-being and community participation of vulnerable older Australians.
While supporting most of the broad concepts put forward by the Taskforce, we believe the Principles should be more practical and consumer-oriented, including funding interfaces with other services. We also recommend clearer and more inclusive definitions of support and care, everyday living and accommodation components and the rationale for participant contributions.
