'Aged Care Falls Short' Article

OTA has been closely monitoring the impacts of the new residential aged care funding model on occupational therapy services.

The Daily Telegraph recently published an article entitled ‘Aged Care Falls Short’, highlighting the impact of the introduction of AN-ACC on allied health services in residential aged care facilities, using the reduction in physiotherapy services as an example.

Our experienced occupational therapists who work in residential aged care are noting the same negative impacts to their practice. Recent industry reporting shows allied health minutes further reduced from the 8 minutes per day cited in the Aged Care Royal Commission down to as low as 2.8 minutes per day. 

Reduced allied health services can only mean poorer health and wellbeing outcomes for aged care residents. OTA is continuing to advocate for benchmarking and funding that allows occupational therapists to work to full scope of practice across all residential aged care settings.

The full article ‘Aged Care Falls Short’ is accessible via The Daily Telegraph behind a paywall.