The Inspector-General of Aged Care's final report of its Review of My Aged Care has exposed significant flaws and inadequacies with the platform designed to be the single-entry point to the aged care system.
The review found that My Aged Care is onerously complex to navigate and not tailored to the needs of older people; it is poorly understood due to a lack of awareness; the delivery model is not fit-for-purpose; and there is a lack of equity for older people from diverse backgrounds or complex needs.
Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) CEO Craig Gear said the findings are not surprising given what we consistently hear from older people, with My Aged Care in need of an overhaul.
"The report's message is clear – My Aged Care is failing too many older people, who are left unable to navigate and access the support they need, when they need it," Mr Gear said.
"My Aged Care is meant to be the front door to the aged care system, but many older people are unable to find the front door or to step their way through it.
"Aged care is very complex and older people deserve user friendly and easy to navigate pathways including in person access points.
"OPAN was pleased to participate in the consultations for the review, which included complying with voluntary requests for anonymised data and information from our systems, which demonstrated the challenges faced by older people in navigating My Aged Care. This was the first use of the Inspector-General of Aged Care's information request powers.
"Australia has an ageing population, and it is crucial that points of access to aged care cater to the needs of all older people, particularly those from diverse backgrounds and in remote locations. Greater investment and commitment are needed to achieve an accessible system.
"OPAN welcomes the report's recommendations, which includes improving public awareness, reducing system complexity and enabling equitable access to aged care.
"We acknowledge some changes have been made to the My Aged Care website with the commencement of the new Act. Regardless, older people are still reporting difficulties in locating providers on the website as well as the ability to compare pricing.
"Older people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Reforming My Aged Care would be a positive step in achieving that."
