Month: May 2017

View the June 2017 Communiqué from the Queensland Department of Health on seasonal influenza for residential aged care providers.

Read more:

Prepare for seasonal influenza

The Aged Care Financing Authority (ACFA) was tasked in November 2015 with reviewing the current Bond Guarantee Scheme and to identify and assess alternatives to it.

ACFA concluded that there were three viable and effective options including retaining the existing Scheme.

Read more:

ACFA report: Review of the Bond Guarantee Scheme

To stay in step with generally accepted good corporate governance and best practice, the Australian Government has decided to continue the auditing requirement for the Annual Prudential Compliance Statement (APCS).

This approach adjusts the previous advice to the aged care sector in late 2016 with the announcement of a single comprehensive financial report, the Aged Care Financial Report.

Read more:

Financial reporting requirements for residential and home care package providers

More information – Changes to financial reporting arrangements for residential and home care providers

 

The Department of Health has released a new edition of its ‘Information for Aged Care Providers’ newsletter.

Read more:

Information for Aged Care Providers – Issue #2017/09 (.pdf)

Released: 26 May 2017

The Turnbull government has announced funding to give almost 10,000 more older Australians access to residential aged care services.

The Federal Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt, said today that the government is providing an additional $649 million per year to create 9911 new residential aged care places in the 2016-17 Aged Care Approvals Round.

“As people grow older they increasingly want flexibility in the services they receive and how and when they access them,” Minister Wyatt said.

“Australians want greater choice and control over their care and this investment does exactly that.”

Read more:

Almost 10,000 new residential aged care places announced (.pdf)

The Department of Health has released a new edition of its ‘Information for Aged Care Providers’ newsletter.

Read more:

Information for Aged Care Providers – Issue #2017/08 (.pdf)

The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency has released the May 2017 issue of their ‘Quality Standard’ newsletter.

Read more:

Quality Standard – May 2017 (.pdf)

Australian Aged Care Quality Agency

The 2017-2018 Annual Service, Support & Upgrade Fee Invoices will be emailed during May, for renewal for the coming financial year.

All annual fees currently expire on 30 June 2017 so please ensure your accounts department has processed this prior to expiry to continue receiving support and all upgrades from 1 July 2017 onward.

If your accounts payable department has an updated email address for invoices to be sent to or you don’t receive the invoice during May, then please email accounts@manad.com.au to request another copy or to update your details.

The Department of Health is currently working with the Aged Care Sector Committee Diversity Sub-Group to develop an Aged Care Diversity Framework.

The first stage of public consultations is now open for the development of a broader diversity Framework to build on and replace the existing National Ageing and Aged Care Strategies for:

• People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds; and

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people.

The consultation is open from 8 May 2017 to 19 June 2017 and takes around 20 minutes to complete.

Read more:

Diversity framework consultation now open

Development of the Aged Care Diversity Framework

The Department of Health has developed a 24 minute educational video with the Aged Care Channel on LGBTI: Inclusion and Awareness for the aged care sector.

This free video highlights LGBTI communities’ expectations for inclusive and safe services using:

• community testimonials;

• supporting policies; and

• resources.

Anyone can register to watch this video on demand. It will also be available via the department’s website soon.

Read more:

New video – LGBTI: Inclusion and Awareness