Federal Budget 2023: Spending on nursing home beds slashed

Aussie dietitians have labelled a key element of the federal budget as the “start of the end of malnutrition in aged care”. See why and what else is afoot for the sector.

Australian dietitians have welcomed the federal government’s $12.9 million budget commitment to improve nutrition in aged care.

“This is the start of the end of malnutrition in aged care in this country,” Dietitians Australia chief executive Robert Hunt said.

“Malnutrition has been a silent faceless abuser in Australian aged care for decades.

“We have made it no secret as a member association and a profession that we will not tolerate it and have insisted dietitians be engaged in the sector immediately.

“Aged care residents and their families deserve nothing less.”

Mr Hunt described it as a “vital step towards improving food, nutrition and quality of life for older people in residential aged care homes”.

It’s understood the funding will go towards establishing a dedicated Food, Nutrition and Dining Advisory Support Unit through a food complaints hotline staffed by dietitians.

BUDGET PLAN TO CLEAN UP AGED CARE MESS

Spending on nursing home places will be slashed and the number of packages to help older people stay in their own homes will be boosted, as the government seeks to clean up the troubled aged-care sector.

The budget allocates $169m for an extra 9500 Home Care Packages places – giving the elderly access to cleaners, gardeners and other help domestically.

This will lift the total number of packages to 285,100 by June 2024, and the government will set new efficient prices for these services as it moves to crack down on overcharging.

However, budget cuts outlined by the Treasurer will save $2.2bn by reducing the number of aged-care beds the government subsidises.

Currently it funds 78 nursing home beds per 1000 people aged over 70, and this will fall to just 60 beds per 1000 people in this age group.

Some of the packages include domestic help for the elderly who stay at home.

The Department of Health and Aged Care insists no beds will close under the measure and says it reflects the reality that since the Covid outbreak, fewer people want to move into a nursing home.

“The reduction in the ratio reflects the increasing preference for older Australians to remain in their homes,” the budget papers explain.

Savings from this measure will be redeployed to implement Aged Care Royal Commission reforms that will improve the quality of care in nursing homes.

As outlined last week, the government will be funding a 15 per cent wage rise for 250,000 aged care nurses and personal care workers.

It will spend a further $311.2m to cover the cost of increased wages in the Commonwealth Home Support Program.

It will also fund a 17 per cent increase to the amount the government pays nursing homes per bed per day from $216 to $243.

The government predicts the pay rises will attract about 10,000 more workers into aged care.

To further boost the workforce, it has set up fee-free TAFE courses and is funding HECS places and support for aged-care nurses.

More than $1bn will be spent on new checks on nursing homes that will see providers audited to ensure they provide quality care and nutritious food.

The measures will include a star rating system for aged-care homes, a new regulatory framework for the sector, a national screening and registration system for aged-care workers, increased funding for safety and quality audits, and developing and enforcing nutrition standards in aged care homes.

Originally published as Federal Budget 2023: Spending on nursing home beds slashed