21 January 2025

If you have a loved one living in an aged care home, understanding the healthcare options available to them can help you ensure they receive the best possible support. New government initiatives, such as MyMedicare registration and the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI), are making it easier for general practices to work with aged care homes to provide proactive, continuous care tailored to aged care residents.

 

What is MyMedicare?

MyMedicare is a new registration process available to all Australians, designed to create a stronger link between patients, their GPs, and GP practices. For aged care residents, this connection provides added benefits by ensuring they have a dedicated GP and practice familiar with their medical history and ongoing health needs. When aged care residents register with MyMedicare, they gain more consistent and accessible healthcare as GPs coordinate services directly with the aged care home staff.

To participate, everyone involved—your loved one, their GP, and the GP practice—must be registered with MyMedicare. It’s important to note MyMedicare is separate from both Medicare and My Health Record. Even if your loved one is already enrolled in those programs, they’ll need to register specifically for MyMedicare to.

 

What is the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI)?

The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI) is an Australian Government initiative which encourages general practices to work more closely with aged care homes. The goal is to provide residents with continuous, planned healthcare, going beyond standard reactive care. GPACI promotes a collaborative, team-based approach between GPs and aged care staff, which ensures residents’ healthcare needs are met promptly and they benefit from regular medical attention tailored to their unique needs.

GPACI is also part of the government’s commitment to improve healthcare quality and safety for aged care residents, as highlighted in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report.

 

How you can support your loved one

To help your loved one benefit from these initiatives, you can:

  • Ensure they register with MyMedicare. Registration with MyMedicare is essential for them to receive the full benefits of coordinated healthcare.
  • Communicate with aged care staff. Stay informed about your loved one’s health plan and ask about the GP services available to them.
  • Download helpful resources. The Aged Care Residents Information Booklet offers insights into aged care standards and how families can be involved in care planning and quality reviews.

 

MyMedicare General Practice Aged Care IncentiveUseful resources for families and carers

For more detailed information, we encourage you to download these resources:

These resources provide practical information to help you understand the steps aged care homes are taking to enhance resident care, allowing you to support your loved one more effectively.

 

Our role in supporting aged care and practice partnerships

At South Western Sydney PHN, we are working closely with aged care homes and general practices across the region to help them implement GPACI. By strengthening partnerships between these facilities and GP practices, we aim to ensure residents receive timely, ongoing healthcare which meets government standards for quality and safety. SWSPHN is dedicated to helping aged care homes, as well as general practices, understand and implement GPACI effectively, supporting their staff in providing the best possible care for residents.

For further questions or assistance, please reach out to South Western Sydney PHN’s GPACI Project Officer at kirsty.young@swsphn.com.au.