Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee

This submission identifies a misalignment between the rights-based intent of the new Aged Care Act, and certain funding provisions in the Aged Care Rules. Specifically, the fixed 12 to 16-week limit on funding for the Support at Home End-of-Life Pathway does not account for the inherent uncertainty of prognosis in terminal illness and risks interrupting care for people who live beyond this timeframe.  Once eligibility requirements are met, Pathway support should be available for the remaining duration of a person’s life, consistent with the approach to palliative care admissions in residential aged care.

PCA recommends the Rules be amended to:

• Remove the maximum timeframe for participation in the Support at Home End-of-Life pathway and/or
• Introduce a swift exemption process for people who outlive their anticipated prognosis.

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