Before joining Pride Aged Living, I spent years leading AN-ACC funding teams within some of Australia's largest aged care providers. Looking back, one lesson stands out more than any other.

For years, I worked inside organisations that, from the outside, appeared exceptionally well resourced. They had dedicated funding managers, clinical teams, analysts and governance structures. Everything looked to be in place.

Working on the inside taught me something that isn't often talked about. Having people doesn't automatically create capacity.

Most organisations have capable people. Roles are filled, responsibilities are assigned, and responsibilities are clear. But capability on paper doesn't always translate into the capacity to respond quickly when it matters. To me, capacity means having the time, visibility, systems and support to act. It means clinical changes are identified early, reassessments are lodged promptly, documentation is complete, funding opportunities aren't missed, and leaders can see what's happening now and not three months later.

Even the best teams reach the same ceiling

One of the biggest lessons from leading national funding teams was that no matter how experienced your staff are, there is only so much they can do.

Today's funding environment is more complex than ever. Teams are balancing AN-ACC, Care Minutes, Higher Everyday Living Fees (HELF), Support at Home, compliance requirements, reporting obligations, education, audits and continual government reform. Every new requirement competes for the same limited hours.

There were times when I genuinely wished we had brought in experienced external support—not because our people weren't capable, but because they simply didn't have the capacity.

Sometimes another permanent position isn't the answer. Sometimes a team simply needs experienced support that can step in when workloads peak or priorities shift.

Capacity isn't measured by headcount - case study

Recently, I spoke with the General Manager of a residential aged care home with fewer than 30 beds.

They didn't have a dedicated funding department or specialist funding roles, yet they had built a process that worked. Clinical staff and management worked closely together. Changes in resident condition were recognised quickly, reassessments were requested promptly, and everyone understood what to look for and why it mattered.

That conversation reinforced something I'd learnt years earlier. Capacity isn't created by having more people. It's created through informed teams, effective systems and the ability to act quickly.

Four questions worth asking

The size of a funding team tells you very little about how effectively it's operating.

Instead, ask yourself:

How quickly does a clinical change become a reassessment?
Can you see your funding position today, or are you looking at last month's data?
How long does it take for a signed HELF agreement to become recognised revenue?
Are you measuring the gap between care being delivered and funding being recognised?

The answers often reveal where opportunities are being lost.

Technology helps but it isn't the whole answer

AI, automation and new software can improve visibility, consistency and efficiency, but they still rely on good documentation and sound clinical processes.

Technology strengthens good practice, but it doesn't replace it.

Funding is ultimately about recognising the care that's already being delivered. If that care isn't documented or translated into funding, organisations lose revenue they've already earned. Over time, those missed opportunities affect financial sustainability, workforce investment and, ultimately, resident outcomes.

So where does external support fit?

Looking back, this is exactly the gap I wanted someone to fill when I was leading internal funding teams.

I wasn't looking for someone to tell us how to do our jobs. I wanted experienced people who could work alongside us, provide additional capacity when it was needed, and help us keep pace with increasing demands.

That need looks different for every provider. Larger organisations may need extra capacity during periods of reform or to tackle work that's been pushed down the priority list. Smaller providers may need access to specialist expertise without the cost of maintaining a dedicated funding department.

In both cases, the objective is the same: helping providers capture the funding they've already earned while strengthening compliance and supporting sustainable operations.

How we help

At Pride Aged Living, we've built our funding services around this philosophy.

We work alongside internal teams, providing expertise, added capacity, and a fresh perspective to help providers respond to change, prevent revenue leakage, and maximise the funding they've already earned.

Whether you need a one-off review, support through change or a long-term partner beside your team. However you need us, we're here to help.

See how we help with AN-ACC

Ann Del Rosario
Principal Consultant
ann.delrosario@prideagedliving.com.au

When Good Funding Teams Run Out of Capacity