Despite the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety emphasising the importance of reablement services, the utilisation of allied health services has steadily declined since the introduction of key aged care reforms.

To stem the ongoing deterioration of allied health in residential aged care, Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) and its members have developed a model of care that integrates and embeds allied health professionals within residential aged care, ensuring comprehensive quality care for older adults and meeting the objectives of the proposed Aged Care Act.

This presentation aims to unpack the features of the proposed model and the key requirements across the sector to achieve a truly multidisciplinary model of care in residential aged care. It will explore what is needed at a government and sector level to ensure older people living in residential aged care experience the positive ageing journey they deserve.

AHPA has found that many allied health professionals are eager to work in residential aged care but face job losses, reduced hours, or diminished duties due to the introduction of new aged care reforms. Mandated care minutes for nursing and care staff has devalued allied health services, an issue further compounded by the lack of dedicated funding for allied health services. In fact, latest government and industry data indicate that allied health service minutes have been reduced to nearly half of what the Royal Commission deemed inadequate.

Consumers need and want allied health services but are continually told these services are unavailable or cannot be funded within the aged care system. This leads to consumers experiencing significant financial burdens and increased carer strain when privately sourcing allied health services, fostering inequity in care access.

Insufficient access to allied health services contributes to substandard care and high levels of neglect, as highlighted by the Royal Commission, and results in ongoing high rates of non-compliance across quality indicators directly influenced by allied health service provision.

This presentation will explore how allied health professionals (AHPs) bring specialised expertise in reablement and wellness, promoting functional abilities, independence, and resident wellbeing. AHPs enhance care through staff training and systems support and are integral to the broader care team, collaborating with general practitioners, geriatricians, nurses, and care workers to deliver high-quality, regulatory-compliant care.