AHPA has now analysed the results of our 2023 survey, led by Occupational Therapy Australia, of allied health providers in residential aged care.
The survey sought information about the impact of recent aged care reforms, particularly the introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding tool on 1 October 2022, on the provision of allied health services and clinical outcomes in residential aged care.
Concerning themes that were identified in the 2022 survey have continued one year on:
- Just over half of respondents said their role had changed since introduction of the AN-ACC. Of those respondents, almost one in five had lost their role and 48% had their hours decreased.
- 50% experienced changes to their clinical team structure, with 90% of those respondents seeing the number of allied health professionals (AHPs) decrease and about one third experiencing a decrease in the number of allied health assistants (AHAs).
This year’s survey also received responses to two new questions:
- 32% of respondents were aware of instances where AHAs were assigned roles/duties when those roles/duties should have been undertaken by AHPs, or where the AHA was not adequately supervised.
- 32% of respondents knew of instances where personnel from outside allied health were inappropriately assigned allied health clinical roles/duties.
You can read the full summary of the survey below.