General News
24 August, 2023
Central Goldfields Shire Council to axe “unsustainable” in-home aged care services in 2024
In one of its hardest decisions to date, the Central Goldfields Shire Council is the latest in a string of local governments to announce it will axe its aged care services amid changing support for the sector — impacting over 600 residents and 26...
In one of its hardest decisions to date, the Central Goldfields Shire Council is the latest in a string of local governments to announce it will axe its aged care services amid changing support for the sector — impacting over 600 residents and 26 staff.
Councillors decided at this week’s council meeting to cease delivering in-home aged care services following an extensive review process that included consultation with both staff and community members.
The decision is in response to the planned introduction of the Commonwealth Government’s new Support at Home (SAH) model of care program, part of its National Reform of Aged Care, which is scheduled to commence on July 1, 2025.
The new SAH program combines the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and a range of other aged care programs while shifting to a competitive model that means for many councils, continuation of aged care services may not be financially viable.
The Pyrenees Shire Council made the decision to cease its delivery of in-home aged care in December last year, while the Hepburn Shire Council dropped its support services in July last year.
Central Goldfields Shire mayor Grace La Vella said the decision to cease aged care services was the council’s hardest decision during its term to date.
“This certainly hasn’t been a decision that has been taken lightly — and not one that has been made solely for financial reasons — a detailed review was carried out by an independent agency which included extensive staff and community consultation,” she said.
“The review identified that it would be difficult for council to comply with the requirements of the new and expanded SAH program.
“To continue, council would be required to extend its suite of services to offer allied health, nursing and more complex personal care. This extension would require new technology, higher standards and clinical governance further adding to costs and complexity.”
Council currently delivers aged care services to 631 clients who receive the Commonwealth Home Support Program per annum, which includes services like domestic assistance, personal care, home maintenance and social support.
This equates to just under 16,000 hours of service delivered to residents, with 6773 meals delivered at home each year.
“The intention of the SAH program is to open up the market for aged care providers — meaning it will be more competitive and clients will have a choice about who they access for their care program,” Cr La Vella said.
“The Commonwealth Government’s payment structure will also change making it more challenging for council to budget to deliver the service.
“Unfortunately, the changes the Commonwealth Government have implemented have made it unsustainable for Council to continue to deliver these services into the future. The shift to a competitive model means that it’s not financially viable for council to continue.”
Council will begin transitioning away from delivering in-home aged care services from March 1 next year, with the organisation reassuring residents it will be business as usual for now.
According to council, clients will continue receiving the services they have been assessed for and further information about providers will be shared with clients as it comes to hand.
There are currently 26 staff employed to deliver in-home care services through council and Central Goldfields Shire CEO Lucy Roffey said staff are being supported through the changes.
“In notifying staff of the decision on Wednesday, council confirmed a number of support services had been engaged to support staff including Career Assist, Career Transition Services and our Employee Assistance Program,” she said.
Council will look to establish a working group involving affected staff and will make investments to provide staff with the support and skills they need to transition to future work or retirement, depending on individual circumstances.
Cr La Vella said council will look to identify service providers moving forward and thanked staff for their ongoing contribution.
“Council will now work with the Commonwealth Government to find a new provider to deliver aged care services locally and once in place will support the transition of all clients to help make the process as smooth as possible,” she said.
“We recognise that the reformed services would be better delivered by alternative providers who could offer a greater range of services to our clients.
“We thank our staff and clients for their patience whilst we have worked through the review to determine how we are best to support our residents both now and into the future.
“We acknowledge the situation has been difficult for our staff — we thank them for their understanding and their wonderful ongoing service and care for our older residents.”
The Maryborough District Health Service (MDHS) has been identified as one of a number of possible providers moving forward, having taken on a role as provider in the Pyrenees Shire.
“MDHS would be interested in exploring what their role could be in the planning of the future delivery of CHSP services in Central Goldfields Shire,” CEO Nickola Allan said.
Further details about the decision are available on council’s website at www.engage.cgoldshire.vic.gov.au/agedcarereview