Month: October 2019

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s Interim Report has been tabled in the Australian Parliament today and is now available to read on the website.

The Interim Report, entitled Neglect, covers much, but not all, of the work of Commissioners Richard Tracey AM, RFD, QC and Lynelle Briggs AO through to September 2019. It has found that the aged care system fails to meet the needs of our older citizens in the delivery of safe and quality care.

Read more:

Media Release (.pdf)

About the Interim Report (.pdf)

Foreword (.pdf)

Volume 1 – Information gathered and some conclusions (.pdf)

Volume 2 – Overview of public hearings (.pdf)

Volume 3 – Appendices and summaries of community forums (.pdf)

The Australian Government welcomes the Interim Report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which has been tabled in the Australian Parliament today.

The Government will carefully consider the findings in the interim report – and continue to listen to the issues as they emerge through the course of this important inquiry.

The interim report and the Royal Commission’s hearings to date tell us some aged care providers are falling far short of delivering the safe, high-quality care expected by senior Australians and their loved ones.

We acknowledge that the Government also has work to do and will consider and act on the Royal Commission findings, whilst noting significant reforms are in progress.

The problems raised today in the Interim Report have challenged governments, industry and the community over many decades and require a coordinated response from all involved.

Read more:

Interim Report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

Message from DHS: Online claiming for aged care is changing.

Attached is a communique from the Department of Human Services.

Read more:

DHS Provider Communique: Online claiming for aged care is changing (.pdf)

The concept of dignity of risk is not entirely new, however it now has a position of prominence in aged care with the Aged Care Quality Standards.

In this video update, senior associate Dr Melanie Tan explains:

• What does dignity of risk mean?
• Where and when does dignity of risk apply?
• What is the duty of care within dignity of risk?

Read more:

Aged Care Video Alert: Dignity of Risk

Video

Fewer aged care residents will have the expense and inconvenience of having to go to hospital for x-rays under changes to Medicare.

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said, “For the first time, from 1 November 2019 a Medicare rebate will be available as a call-out fee for the provision of mobile skeletal x-ray services conducted at a residential aged care facility.”

“These services include x-rays of the shoulder, pelvis, ribs and sternum; chest x-rays for suspected pneumonia or heart failure; and abdominal x-rays for acute abdomen or bowel obstruction.”

Mobile Medicare x-ray services were recommended by the independent expert Medical Services Advisory Committee.

Read more:

New Medicare support for older Australians

The department has made updates to the material change form to make it clearer what information you need to provide when submitting a change, including in relation to third parties.

Approved providers are required to notify any change of circumstance that materially affects their suitability to be a provider of aged care within 28 days of the change occurring.

For example, if the approved provider:

• is unable to manage its financial responsibilities or goes into external administration
• makes substantial changes to its organisational or governance structure, such as entering into a brokerage arrangement for delivery of clinical care or using a management company
• has a change in key personnel, such as the departure of the Director of Nursing or executive management.

Read more:

Material change form update

Notification of a Material Change form (.pdf)

Successive Australian governments have shown a lack of willingness to commit to change or to adopt recommendations from a multitude of reviews and inquiries into aged care over more than 20 years, according to the latest background paper produced for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Background Paper 8: A History of Aged Care Reviews, provides an overview of 18 major public reports and inquiries related to publicly-funded aged care in Australia since 1997, and looks at government responses to each of these.

“Responses often come years after the review and recount what has been done in an almost tangential way,” the paper says.

“Changes committed to are often slow to eventuate, or fall away prior to implementation.”

Read more:

Background Paper 8 – A History of Aged Care Reviews (.pdf)

Home Care:

• Aged Care Financing Authority (ACFA) project on improving home care payment arrangements – consultation period now open
• Home Care recipients moving into residential care

Residential Care:

• National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program – introduction of 2 new quality indicators

All providers:

• Accessing sensitive information on My Aged Care

Read more:

Information for the Aged Care Sector – Issue 2019/16 (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Commissioner’s message
• Getting to know the Standards – Standard 2, Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers
• Scenarios involving physical and/or chemical restraint
• MOU means better protection for older Australians receiving aged care
• Early findings against the Quality Standards
• Directions issued now on our website
• Webinar on accountabilities of governing bodies in aged care
• Website updates
• Sector news

Read more:

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #9, Sept 2019

2 Hearings are currently upcoming:

Mudgee Hearing – Provision of aged care in regional areas

• Date: 4 – 6 November 2019
• Location: TBC
• Time: 9:30am local time

At this public hearing, the Royal Commission will inquire into the provision of aged care in regional and remote areas, with a focus on:

• the perspective and experience of people who access or are involved in aged care in regional and remote areas
• challenges associated with delivering aged care in regional and remote areas
• models for and approaches to delivering aged care in regional and remote areas, including Multi-Purpose Services.

Hobart Hearing – Aged care operations of selected Approved Providers

The Hobart Hearing will inquire into the operations of selected Approved Providers that operate residential aged care facilities in Tasmania and elsewhere in Australia.

• Date: 11 – 15 November 2019
• Location: TBC
• Time: 9:30am local time

Read more:

Hearings