Feedback on the Aged Care Service List

17 December 2024

In October, we consulted on the Aged Care Service List. This marked Release 1 of the New Aged Care Act Rules consultation. The Service List outlines the care and services that will be available to older people and may be eligible for funding under the new Aged Care Act.

We received 137 written submissions and heard from:

• providers
• aged care workers
• aged care professionals
• older people, family members and advocates

Thank you to everyone who participated.

What we heard

Many welcomed the inclusion of:

• psychology, counselling and psychotherapy under allied health services - this supports the mental health and wellbeing of older people
• the Hoarding and Squalor Assistance service type - this recognises the complexity of supporting people who live with these conditions
• unlimited continence aids in residential aged care - this helps older people manage their needs
• general access to medical services for residential aged care - this makes sure older people can access their appointments with health professionals

Areas of concern included:

• whether the proposed time caps for gardening (18 hours per year) and general house cleaning (52 hours per year) are sufficient for people living in rural and remote areas, and renters
• the definition of 'allied health professional', which excludes self-regulated practitioners who provide home-based and community care services as part of multidisciplinary teams
• clarity around the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) service types

Suggestions included:

• categorising therapeutic allied health services for independent living under ‘clinical care’
• funding for household items and training for assistive technology
• involving traditional healing practices to encourage culturally safe, responsive and appropriate care
• more training in specialist areas such as trauma-informed practice and cultural diversity awareness
• more flexibility to meet the needs of people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.

What we're doing

All feedback is being considered and used to refine the Rules. Changes already made include:

• no caps for gardening and house cleaning -- this makes sure older people have more flexibility and choice
• clarification that a prescription by an allied health professional is not required for all AT-HM service types
• clarification that a list of allied health professionals is not a complete list of AT-HM prescribers

Consultation has also opened for feedback on the Residential Care Service List. This is open until 20 January 2025.

We will continue to consult on the other Rules that will sit under the new Aged Care Act. All Rules consultations will be published on our website. More Rules will be released in stages through to early 2025.