Are people with the most complex dementia needs being left stranded by our system?That’s the question being asked by many in the aged care sector, as well as the thousands of families of older people living with high-needs dementia.

As I write this, it is World Alzheimer's Day and the start of Dementia Action Week – a chance for the whole community to glimpse what we at HammondCare focus on every day of the year, as do other hard-working organisations such as Dementia Australia, Dementia Training Australia, the Older Persons Advocacy Network and the state Councils on the Ageing.

So it’s an apt time to draw attention to the fact that this month’s disappointing 2.55 per cent increase in Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding is less than half the increase recommended by independent analysts and – when the rising costs of delivering care are factored in – effectively a cut to funding. 

It will further disincentivise providers from accepting older people with complex dementia, meaning:

• more instances of hospitals unable to discharge patients safely

• longer hospital stays

• increased pressure on emergency departments 

• and higher workloads for mental health services.

That’s because the funding system already does not adequately reflect the intensity of care, behavioural support, staffing and clinical resources required to care for people living with high-needs dementia.

The funding system...does not adequately reflect the intensity of care, behavioural support, staffing and clinical resources required to care for people living with
high-needs dementia.

Working together towards a solution

At HammondCare, we specialise in caring for people living with complex dementia, many of whom don’t quite meet the criteria for the Specialist Dementia Care Program but still require specialised support in a purpose-built environment.

By our calculations, the higher staffing level necessary in these instances equates to a gap in the cost of care of almost $18,000/year for each resident. This is just not sustainable for providers long-term.

We are committed to working with the government to find a way forward, and understand it could take time for AN-ACC to reconsider how it categorises support for people living with dementia.

We are advocating for alternative pathways to adequately fund residents with a history of complex behavioural symptoms, or those who have transitioned from specialist health and aged care programs. 

The need is growing

Better funding for residents with complex dementia would help address increasing challenges across both the health and aged care systems.

But in the meantime, the people caught in the gaps remain in acute settings such as hospitals, driving delayed discharge, deconditioning, family distress and avoidable cost shifting.

But in the meantime, the people caught in the gaps remain in acute settings such as hospitals, driving delayed discharge, deconditioning, family distress and avoidable cost shifting.

Aged care providers are facing increasing labour costs, including well-deserved Fair Work Award increases of 4.75 per cent, and the Consumer Price Index is running at more than 3.5 per cent. As a not-for-profit provider, we can only absorb so much.

To meet increasing demand as a sector, we hope to work hand-in-hand with the Commonwealth to make sure no one is left without the care they require. The people who need our support deserve nothing less.