ELDERLY RESIDENTS TO MISS OUT ON FUNDING FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT FROM 1 OCTOBER

Aged Care residents to suffer more pain, pushed towards more medications if new funding model isn’t reversed

7 September 2022

Painaustralia, the peak advocacy group for the one in five Australians who suffer from chronic pain, is urging the new Albanese Government to ensure residents in aged care homes are not robbed of funding for physiotherapy services.

Before losing office, the previous government announced funding for people in aged care facilities for physiotherapy would be cut from October 1 2022, under the new Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding model.

Painaustralia CEO Giulia Jones said physiotherapy services were vital in aged care facilities where 80 per cent residents live with chronic pain.

“63 per cent receive pain management care from healthcare professions, including physiotherapists, at least once per week. These residents will no longer be able to receive this care from October 1 due to the funding change,” Ms Jones said, who has written to the new Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, appealing for the funding to be continued.

“We are hoping Minister Wells will recognise that this change will set many residents back, and by reversing the funding changes demonstrate that the Albanese Government genuinely cares about those living in aged care.

“By denying the elderly access to physiotherapy to help with their pain management, residents will be forced to be more reliant on increased medications, ironically at a time when the government is trying to get people to take fewer prescription medications.

“It just doesn’t make sense to deny people with chronic pain access to physiotherapy; they need it to manage their pain. They don’t need more medicines instead.”

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) had also been campaigning against the funding withdrawal for some time. Back in July, Painaustralia and the Australian Physiotherapy Association jointly issued a media statement drawing attention to the impact the funding withdrawal would have on the elderly.

Ms Jones said appropriate care such as high-quality physiotherapy was an essential aspect of multidisciplinary pain management which was recommended by the Royal Commission into Aged Care.

“Aged care residents deserve better, and we urge the Albanese Government to demonstrate they care about the elderly who live with chronic pain and urgently reconsider the funding change.”

Media enquiries please contact Giulia Jones on 0439 958 298