The government’s recent raft of “once in a generation” aged care reforms promise extra funding for people who wish to remain in their homes as they approach the end of life. Palliative care advocates say the extra money is welcome, but details on how it will all work are still needed.
As part of the historic reforms announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Aged Care Minister Annika Wells last week, the government will provide up to $25,000 per person in additional aged care support at home during the final three months of life under the Support at Home Program.
Older people with less than three months to live and who wish to stay at home, will be given priority access to the program’s dedicated highest funding classification for additional home care services ($25,000 for 12 weeks).
Palliative Care Australia (PCA) chair Professor Meera Agar welcomed the announcement, saying it reflected the reality that a majority of people would prefer to die at home rather than in an aged care facility.
“This is a generous entitlement and responds to the advocacy of PCA and our members,” she says.
“The new pathway recognises that people who are closer to the end of their life have greater needs and require specific investment to allow them to stay at home, it also recognises that 90 per cent of Australians say they want to be cared for at home, with appropriate supports.”
However, Prof. Agar also cautioned that there were still details to be revealed to the public, details that would determine the success or failure of the project.
“We look forward to the detail of the policy being shared and contributing to the roll out and implementation of the new pathway to make sure it works for people, families, and the various health systems involved.”
What needs to be addressed?
PCA believes tying the funding to a three-month prognosis could be problematic because some older people living at home with a palliative condition need additional care well before that time frame. Limiting access risks many older people suffering at the end of life and only receiving care when it’s almost too late.
They’re calling for the application process to be as simple and flexible as possible, aimed at reducing any delay in delivering services.
PCA says they also need more clarification around how people in regional and rural areas will access the new entitlements given that these areas already struggle to find and retain qualified staff across health and aged care.
Prof. Agar says she hopes the new Aged Care Act shines a light on the importance of quality palliative care, which is sometimes forgotten when discussing aged care in general.
“If the home care or residential aged care systems can’t respond then inevitability older Australians who are dying end up in hospital needlessly and against their end of life wishes,” she says.
“Some providers and communities are better placed than others to access palliative care. We need to reduce that variability so that whoever you are and wherever you live, you can access quality of life at the end of life.”
Would you prefer to spend your final days at home? What do you think is needed to achieve that? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Why palliative care is not just somewhere to ‘park’ a loved one while they wait to die
