Transition Care
May 2005
As part of the Federal Government’s 2004/2005 budget it was announced
that a national transition care program would be established
to assist older persons who have been hospitalised and require rehabilitation
services post hospitalisation.
The Aged Care Amendment (Transition Care and Assets Testing) Bill
2005 which was passed by the House of Representatives on 16 February
2005 amends the Aged Care Act 1997 in order to implement this program
with respect to residential care.
It is proposed that the Residential Care Subsidy Principles 1997 will
also be amended to specify a new kind of flexible care, that is transition
care, which is the provision of a mixture of aged care supports and
therapeutic care such as rehabilitation after a period of hospitalisation.
The effect of the amendments to the Act as set out in the Bill are
that a resident of a low care residential aged care facility will
be considered to be on leave from that care facility, and therefore
residential care subsidy will still be payable to the approved provider,
for the period during which the resident is receiving transition
care (and a flexible care subsidy is payable in respect of that
care).
There will be similar limits in relation to the period of leave as
currently exist in relation to extended hospital leave.
The Bill provides that there may be a reduction in residential care
subsidy if the resident is on leave for hospital treatment and then
transition care for a successive period in excess of 30 days.
It is anticipated that amendments to the Principles and other legislation
will be introduced on a staged basis to fully implement the transition
care program.
permission kindly provided:
ROSEMARY SOUTHGATE - Partner
Russell Kennedy - Legal
Tel: 03 9609 1637
Email: rsouthgate@rk.com.au
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