Bupa aged care cooked breakfast fees under HELF program, Digi Mart USA News (Australia): Thousands of people living in Bupa aged care homes will not receive cooked breakfasts unless they sign up for a $42-a-day meal package under a contentious new fee schedule rolling out across the sector, according to a report published by the ABC.
The Higher Everyday Living Fees (HELF) program, introduced as part of the government’s “once in a generation” changes, requires residents to sign up for Bupa’s “Enhanced Dining Experience” at $15,330 per year. That package entitles them to two hot breakfasts a week, a daily extra hot meal option at lunch, a dessert at lunch and a beer, wine or soft drink with lunch and dinner.
Bupa, which has more than 5,000 aged care residents, confirmed that residents who did not pay the $42 daily fee would receive only a continental breakfast. The company said it would “provide additional cooked protein options for residents if recommended by a dietitian, irrespective of whether the resident has opted for our enhanced dining options.”
Dietitians Australia president Fiona Willer said many providers did not have dietitians on staff and that it was worrying residents could need to be diagnosed as malnourished to get simple protein at breakfast. “We’re not talking about high dining here — most people expect an egg at breakfast as normal, and it’s not acceptable that it’s now seen as a luxury,” she said.
According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, “legislation does not prescribe particular foods, such as cooked eggs, or require every resident to receive a cooked breakfast each morning.” Following a story last month, the ABC received HELF price lists for almost a dozen providers and sent the details to the commission, which said it would “review the information” and “assess whether further enquiries are required.”
The price lists included one provider charging $25 a day for an extra lunch and dinner option and a $1,900 fee for a pharmacy choice different from the provider’s choice, as well as a charge of more than $500 to test the safety of up to five electrical items belonging to the resident.
Aged care residents face paying thousands of dollars a year for items ranging from a TV in their room to a cooked breakfast or a musical performance under the new fees. Oryx Communities, which markets itself as a premium aged care provider, is charging $32.43 per day, more than $11,800 a year, for “barista-style” coffee and “petits fours” from its coffee machine.
According to an FAQ document from the Western Australian provider, residents who do not pay will not be allowed into the cafe area, which “is reserved for residents who participate in the applicable HELF service.”
Oryx’s Queenslea facility also charges all residents $39.75 per day, or $14,508 per year, for a pay TV and on-demand entertainment package. If people do not pay, Oryx says the “flat screen TV will be disabled but not removed,” according to documents.
HELF was meant to give elderly Australians greater choice while making fees more transparent. It replaced “additional service” fees that some providers charged in parts of their facilities.
Families, advocates and people in the industry, however, say the change is creating confusion and inequality in nursing homes.
Peak body Ageing Australia declined to provide a statement to the ABC, but its chief executive, Tom Symondson, told an industry publication last month that the scheme was not working. “We need the government to be honest and open with the community that it does not pay for the things contained within HELF,” he said.
Advocates say providers should supply in-room TVs, phones and wi-fi as standard, and that HELF is creating a two-tiered system that compromises residents’ dignity. David Thompson of WA peak body Advocare said, “You’ve got people sitting down next to each other in the dining room, and one has a hot breakfast and the other has Weetbix, and it’s unfair that the staff are the ones trying to explain why.”
Some providers continue to offer many services at minimal or no extra cost, while others are charging up to $20,000 extra per year for bundled packages. Not-for-profit provider Warrigal, which has more than a dozen facilities, charges $70 for a monthly barbecue, $70 for high tea and $4.50 for meal delivery to a resident’s room, with no delivery charge for those with a “clinical or specific care reason.”
Elizabeth Smith, whose mother lives at a Warrigal home, said, “My strong concern is these packages, expressed in daily terms, seem affordable but are actually enormous additional costs for very vulnerable people and families, and there is no requirement, legislatively or through oversight, that they represent value for money.” Warrigal told the ABC its “priority is that every resident receives high-quality standard care, meals, and activities, whether or not they choose optional services.”
A brochure for the Royal Freemasons’ Benevolent Institution (RFBI), also a not-for-profit, indicates that residents who want to use a pharmacy other than its contracted one will be charged $1,900 a year, and that cleaning mini-fridges in residents’ rooms is available as an option for $570 a year. RFBI did not respond to specific questions about its prices but said in a statement: “If governments believe certain services should be available to every resident as a universal entitlement, then those services should be clearly defined and adequately funded.”
Anyone with concerns about HELF is encouraged to contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822.
