New Inspector-General of Aged Care key to reform rollout: Ansell Strategic board pack

The advisory firm’s latest quarterly board pack has pinpointed the appointment of the first Inspector-General as a central takeaway from the Exposure Draft of the new Aged Care Act – why? The 11-page report – which covers the second quarter of 2024 – highlights the key features from the Exposure Draft and how providers can be prepared for changes, singling out the first Inspector-General of Aged Care as now the key recommendation from the Aged Care Royal Commission. Cam Ansell, Managing Director of Ansell Strategic, told The Weekly SOURCE that this is because the draft Act doesn’t require the Department of Health and Aged Care to gauge and report on access to funded aged care services beyond the initial assessment – which will invest more power in the office of the Inspector-General.

“Equity of access is the most important object … as it goes directly to the needs (and a right now, apparently) of the consumer and the sustainability of the sector (because there won’t be availability if they don’t fund it appropriately),” he stated.

The report also provides a snapshot of a range of other regulatory changes, the operations and compliance landscape, funding and financing, workforce issues, and mergers and acquisition activity.

You can download the board pack here. Ansell Strategic is also now publishing a quarterly summary report for facility management. The latest 10-page February bulletin looks at the changes to the Quality Standards aged care reforms with a focus on issues around accreditation and compliance and continuous improvement. You can find it here.