More senior Australians in rural areas will have access to high quality, higher level aged care choices with the opening of a new funding round by the Morrison Government.
The Government is delivering ongoing funding for up to 150 high needs rural aged care beds with $5 million available in the round.
Multi-Purpose Service approved providers are invited to apply for the funding, with the round open on 1 October 2019 and closing on 12 November 2019.
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In this issue:
• Diversity Action Plans now available
• Update on the Specialist Dementia Care Program
Residential Care:
• REMINDER to have your say on the Serious Incident Response Scheme
• Residential Aged Care Funding Reform update
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On September 26 the AMA provided a submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety inquiry. The AMA considers the work of the Royal Commission to be crucial for the future reform of the aged care sector.
The AMA submission addresses all topics from the Royal Commission Terms of Reference from the medical perspective, provides views of AMA members of current issues in aged care as well as recommendations for improvements needed.
The AMA considers the increase in number of doctors working in aged care should be the focus of any future reforms and calls for investment in primary care by the Government.
AMA also calls for introduction of mandatory staff resident ratios residential aged care facilities (RACF), Registered Nurse availability in residential care 24/7, as well as improved training in dementia management for RACF staff.
In total the AMA submission includes 42 recommendations for improvement in the aged care sector.
Read more:
AMA Submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (.pdf)
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The Department released the new 20 September, Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care yesterday afternoon.
We are building the new rates into a v5.7 mini-release, and it will be available to run first thing on Monday (23rd) morning. There are some additional changes with this version so there will be a release note made available for download this week.
Relevant rates for refundable deposits and daily payments
• Maximum Permissible Interest Rate – 1 October 2019 – 31 December 2019: 4.98%
• Base Interest Rate: 3.00%
Read more:
Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care: From 20 September 2019 (.pdf)
Aged Care Subsidies and Supplements New Rates of Daily Payments from 20 September 2019 (.pdf)
In Case You Missed It – Below are links to recent articles on Aged Care and Healthcare that may be of interest:
Govt must not delay aged reforms: industry
Get all young out of aged care: commission
“Don’t Call Me Sweetie” – The Curious Case Of Aged Care Language And Terminology
Bupa CEO says sorry for ‘totally unacceptable’ failings in aged care network
Bupa makes formal apology for aged care failures
Bupa’s aged care failings ‘unacceptable’, says Aged Care Minister
Confounding fees hide the great aged care swindle
Aged care a sentence for 21-year-old man
First-of-its-kind frailty map aims to inform healthy ageing services
Bupa’s nursing home scandal is more evidence of a deep crisis in regulation
Aged care sector labelled ‘a national disgrace’ during royal commission
What does good aged care look like?
Bupa boss, aged care backer to visit sites
Aged care bosses call for sector’s ‘radical redesign’: report
Bupa CEO says sorry and ‘we are capable of much better’
Clydesdale horses visit aged care facility
Renewed calls for more nurse practitioners in aged care
Aged Care Royal Commission extended and new Commissioner added to lineup
Calls to push on with reform as aged care royal commission extended
ROYAL COMMISSION: Government repeating the same mistakes as in 2006
Aged care providers call for ‘systemic reform rather than tinkering around the edges’
ROYAL COMMISSION: “My number one goal is to get the f*** out of the nursing home”
Senior Australians are increasingly choosing to remain in their own homes for longer and the Morrison Government is committed to supporting this choice.
Department of Health data as at 30 June 2019 indicates that 125,117 Australians have access to a home care package compared with 99,932 at the same time last year. That is a 25 per cent increase in just one year.
During the June 2019 quarter, 47,700 home care packages were released, at an average of around 3,700 per week.
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Supporting senior Australians to live in their own homes for longer with more access to in home care
The Morrison Government is delivering $150 million over 3 years to enable more senior Australians to access entry-level home support.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, announced today that additional funding will be available to providers of services in areas where there is high demand.
“Around 18,000 seniors will benefit from an expansion of entry-level home support over the next 12 months.”
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Delivering on our commitment to support more senior Australians to live independently for longer
On Friday 13 September 2019 the Australian Government announced the appointment of an additional Commissioner and a six month extension to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
The newly signed Letters Patent which detail the changes are now available to view on the Royal Commission’s website.
Read more:
Home Care:
• Reminder: Home Care Pricing Information
Residential Care:
• National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program – First quarter data collection
• Residential Aged Care Funding Reform update
Read more:
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