Despite recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety that allied health should become an intrinsic part of residential aged care, there is still no guaranteed funding to ensure access to allied health services for all older persons who need it.
This updated Policy Brief analyses the available data and shows that the amount of allied health care received by aged care residents has actually decreased since the Royal Commission findings. Although the proposed new Australian National Aged Care Classification model is an improvement on the previous instrument, it will not ensure even a minimum level of allied health.
The new Labor Government must work with the allied health sector to develop a clear action plan that integrates allied health care into the residential aged care sector and implements the Royal Commission recommendations.