Access to medical services a crucial component of quality aged care

Professor Dobb said that the AMA has developed a plan for the provision of medical services for older Australians that should be considered by the new Cabinet, which now features two senior Ministers from the Health portfolio.

“There are currently a number of factors restricting access to medical care for residents of aged care facilities, such as poor infrastructure and workforce issues,” Professor Dobb said.

“But the fundamental issue is the failure of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) to appropriately value the delivery of quality medical care to older Australians living in aged care and in the community.

“This issue was raised by the Productivity Commission in its report, Caring for Older Australians.

“Medicare rebates for medical services provided in aged care facilities must reflect the complexity of care and the significant amount of additional clinically-relevant non face-to-face time required to properly manage the elderly patients’ care.

“Extending MBS video consultation items to GPs would also greatly enhance the efficiency of providing medical services to residents of aged care facilities. 

“Properly funded medical services in aged care would ensure that older Australians had quality care in the appropriate setting.

“This would avoid unnecessary hospitalisation, which can be distressing for older people and their families.

“Older Australians have had easy access to their GP throughout their lives.  This access should not be limited because they are now in aged care homes or because their mobility is restricted,” Professor Dobb said.

Professor Dobb said the AMA urges the Government to consider a plan for medical services in aged care that involves:

• a specific accreditation standard for aged care facilities to ensure their residents have ongoing access to medical care;
• specific financial support for aged care facilities to enter into arrangements with medical practitioners to provide ongoing care to residents;
• Government support for residential aged care facilities to make sure there are adequately equipped clinical treatment areas that afford patient privacy and information technology to enable access to medical records and to improve medication management;
• collection of reliable data from aged care providers on access to medical care in residential aged care facilities in order to monitor whether residents are receiving the care they need;
• sufficient numbers of registered nurses to monitor, assess, and care for residents of aged care facilities and to liaise with medical practitioners;
• streamlined processes for accessing timely respite care, such as enabling medical practitioners to authorise access to subsidised respite care in emergency circumstances;
• improved dementia care services for the elderly in residential aged care and in the community; and
• improved palliative care in residential aged care and in the community through the introduction of specific MBS rebates for the medical services provided to people at the end of their life.

CONTACT:         John Flannery                       02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761

                        Kirsty Waterford                    02 6270 5464 / 0427 209 753

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