2020 ACAR – allocation of aged care places and capital grant funding

Published 5th August 2021

The Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, the Hon Richard Colbeck MP, has today announced the results of the 2020 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR), including:

• 4,098 new residential aged care places
• $150 million in capital grant funding
• 1,028 short-term restorative care places.

Senior Australians in regional and remote areas will benefit from the largest ever investment in residential aged care infrastructure.

There will be no further ACAR processes from this point. As part of Australia’s once-in-a-generation aged care reforms, the end of the 2020 ACAR marks the start of a transition period to a new system.

From 1 July 2024 residential care places will be allocated directly to senior Australians, providing more choice and control over which provider delivers their care.

Under these changes, new and existing providers will no longer need to apply for and be allocated places. This will give them greater freedom to adjust and expand service offerings and better meet demand.

During the transition period, providers holding places will still be able to bring their places into effect and start delivering care. There will also be opportunities for providers of residential care that do not hold places but are eager to deliver care prior to 1 July 2024 to seek places outside of an ACAR.

Information about the 2020 ACAR results, including details of the successful approved providers and information on the future of residential places, STRC places and capital grants, is available on the department’s website.

Source:
Unknown Author, 2021, Department of Health (https://www.health.gov.au/)