As a council we have a duty to listen to the community we serve, which is why we voted to continue providing in-home community care services.
Over the past few months, we’ve heard loud and clear about how our community values this service and how it makes a difference in clients’ everyday lives.
We’re also extremely proud of our 300 passionate and dedicated employees who provide these important services to our community.
This decision comes with the Commonwealth Government’s changes to the Aged Care Act set to take effect from November 1.
Previously, these changes had been scheduled to take place next month, but the Commonwealth government this week announced it would delay the changes until later in the year.
The reforms introduce a new Statement of Rights to ensure older people are treated with dignity, changes to who can access aged care services and how they are funded, and better care standards, along with greater oversight from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
These reforms are crucial for improving the standard of aged care across Australia.
But they will also require significant additional expenditure for the City of Greater Geelong to continue its in-home community care services while complying with the new Act.
These costs include IT upgrades and increased compliance requirements including a range of additional quality standards requirements.
While we’re committed to listening to our community and providing high quality services, we also have a responsibility to ensure our all services are financially sustainable.
As a council, we’re committed to reducing debt to ensure we can continue to provide all the services and infrastructure our community needs and expects long into the future.
Fiscal responsibility now allows us to adapt to future economic challenges, just like those we face today including cost of living pressures and inflation.
The Commonwealth government’s changes have created funding uncertainty, and we will continue to call for increased federal funding to help us to comply with these reforms.
We will continue to work with our local federal MPs, Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Corio Richard Marles and Member for Corangamite Libby Coker, to advocate for this much-needed support.
The City will make some changes to how its in-home community care services operate – in line with the reforms – and will work directly with clients and employees to explain these changes.
But it is our aim to keep our in-home care as similar as possible to the service that our community has come to value so highly.
For the latest updates please visit geelongaustralia.com.au/care. I encourage anyone who needs further information to phone our staff on 5272 5272, or email at agedcarereform@geelongcity.vic.gov.au
