Over December and January, the Department is introducing several new measures across the aged care sector in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
On December 1, the Code of Conduct across Aged Care Services was introduced, and the Serious Incident Reporting Scheme (SIRS) was implemented into home care.
Provider governance requirements also changed on December 1.
From January 1, Home Care Package (HCP) pricing is changing. This will see the capping of prices charged for care and package management fees, introducing conditions on which package and care management fees can be charged. For example, providers will no longer be able to charge exit amounts or additional charges for third-party services.
The Department has also recently released the first Fact Sheet in a series to prepare aged care service providers for the new In-Home Care Program, with changes scheduled for July 2024. You can find plenty of resources provided by the Department to support organisations and ensure you’re prepared to adjust for these new arrangements.
Profitability will become more important and challenging for aged care and disability care providers. How can providers profit when fees are reduced and workforce costs increase?
Emergent Consulting can support you through these transitions, increase your organisation’s profitability, and ensure you have a business model suitable for the future.
We also offer powerful reporting dashboards which identify opportunities for profitability, workforce utilisation, workforce attraction and retention. In addition, we can review the IT systems and processes you have in place with a focus on benefiting organisational growth and employee and customer satisfaction.
At Emergent, we can work with you on strategic planning, review and design your new business and operating models and evaluate your technology systems. Our team will provide recommendations on technology selection and implementation, and we can lead change management, project management, and business analysis.
These changes will have a profound effect on how we operate in the aged care sector, and as this is something close to the heart of so many Australian families, it’s a topic the media can cover in some depth. Understanding the legislation, our responsibilities as key stakeholders under this new framework, and delivering the best possible customer experience is critical.
