The Support at Home program manual’s focus on reablement and wellness shows the government values allied health and therapy and expects the aged care sector to increase its offerings in these areas, positive ageing advocate Dr Tim Henwood tells Australia Ageing Agenda.
The manual – which was released in the first half of March – anchors wellness and reablement into the model of the new home care program, which will commence with the new Aged Care Act on 1 July this year.
Section 5.3 shows providers are expected to work with participants to promote greater independence, active participation and autonomy and help them maintain or regain skills and improve their functional capacity, confidence and capability to resume everyday activities and reach their potential.
“Providers not already pivoting or at least thinking about pivoting towards allied health and therapy stand the chance of being left behind,” Dr Henwood told AAA.
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“And unless providers are prepared to challenge the usual, historic model of care, the sector will be racing towards an aged care and healthcare crisis,” warned Dr Henwood – principal consultant at AgeFIT Solutions and long-time advocate for the adoption of exercise within care models.
Without change, increasing numbers of older people with complex physical and mental health needs – but no hospital or aged care beds available to support them – will have to seek treatment into the home in a sector already suffering carer and nurse shortages, he said.
“This is not crystal ball stuff but is something all provider executives and boards should already be thinking about,” said Dr Henwood, who previously spent over seven years as group manager health and wellness at aged care provider Southern Cross Care (SA, NT and Vic).
“There is only one proven countermeasure to the health crisis, and that is to improve the health of the consumer, and the only way to do that is to get them more engaged in exercise, allied health, reablement and restorative care pathways,” said Dr Henwood, a former academic who has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications and sector reports.
“The government recognises this and has made the positive, evidence-based health pathway a key feature of the incoming reform.”
Inclusion of reablement, wellness across programs marks significant change
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In addition to reablement and wellness featuring “front and centre” in the Support at Home manual, Dr Henwood highlighted the terms had experienced an increase in presence in the manual and guidance material of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards from the manual of the outgoing Home Care Package program.
“As further reinforcement of how much the government realises its benefit, we are about to see a dedicated reporting stream for residential aged care allied health and therapy within the quality indicators, and allied health and therapy will be one of only two direct service types fully funded by the government, with no out-of-pocket cost to clients in Support at Home,” he added.
It marks a significant change for the sector, which has historically offered allied health, reablement and wellness secondary to care and with many providers delivering less than evidenced-based service offerings, said Dr Henwood. Others who make allied health and therapy services available to clients because they know it can have value are doing it as a financial loss – but they don’t have to be, he said.
“There are several successful and sustainable operating models out there that demonstrate this doesn’t need to be the case. Add to this the expected NDIS aligned allied health and therapy service value, and the consumer realisation that they need to get involved if they want better health and independence, and there is significant opportunity for providers in the future,” he told AAA.
The Positive Ageing Summit in Adelaide on 28-29 May aims to help providers realise this by showcasing research evidence that has been effectively translated into practice and successful operating models that are financially sustainable, and in some cases make profit.
“This is more than just carers working with clients to increase the number of times they can stand from a chair. It is about health changing allied health and therapy intervention that not only increases chair stand capacity, but also balance and mobility, reduces markers and symptoms of chronic disease and stops wander behaviours and agitation among those with dementia,” said Dr Henwood, who is on the organising committee of the two-day event and appearing in a panel discussing reablement and restorative care across the sector.
PAS delegates to hear from department firsthand on future focus
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The Department of Health and Aged Care is among sponsors of Positive Ageing Summit, and representatives will address the conference about the new focus on allied health in the upcoming reforms.
A department spokesperson told Positive Ageing Summit:
“Delegates will hear directly from the Department of Health and Aged Care about the upcoming Support at Home reform. Recognising that poor health among older Australians has wide-reaching impacts, allied health and restorative care are a priority feature in the incoming reform. All consumers will be offered these services equally under the Clinical Category, independent of their financial status, and at no out-of-pocket expense to them.
“However, traditionally the community aged care sector has not prioritised allied health, reablement, and restorative care. Support at Home offers providers an opportunity to pivot into this space, with both organisational benefits and, more importantly, significant, positive health-modifying benefits for their clients.
“Delegates at the Positive Ageing Summit will hear from the department firsthand about what they hope the future holds for the health of the older community. Delegates will be able to ask questions directly of the department, as well as engage with likeminded clinicians about how they are running their allied health and restorative care offerings.”
Considering the above, Dr Henwood said providers should prepare now, particularly if they want to stay at least one step ahead of the regulator.
“What do you think the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission priority areas will be once the dust settles post 1 July 2025?
“While there is a lot to do and consider before then, providers planning for reform should make sure allied health and therapy feature in their priority topics for conversation.”
Positive Ageing Summit is an initiative of Australian Ageing Agenda and Community Care Review – find out more on the Positive Ageing Summit 2025 website or book your individual and group-discounted tickets here