Month: August 2020

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will hold a virtual hearing from 31 August to 2 September 2020 to examine requirements for the delivery of high quality and safe care to older people in their homes and in the community.

People want to live at home to maintain independence, control and choice in how they live. To enable people to remain in their homes and in the community, a program is needed that will deliver high quality and safe care to those people.

Read more:

Royal Commissioners to examine requirements for the delivery of high quality and safe care to older people in their homes and in the community

Sydney Hearing 4 – Home Care

The schedule lists the daily rates of subsidies and supplements for government-subsidised aged care. It includes rates for home care, residential aged care, transition care and short-term restorative care (STRC).

NOTE:

The 1 September Update removes the ‘1 March– 31 August 2020 Temporary additional daily amount’ for both Home Care and Residential Care.

Read more:

Schedule from 1 September 2020 (.pdf)

Australian Healthcare Associates (AHA), on behalf of the department, is undertaking a legislated review of the Restraints Principles.

AHA is seeking the views of current or previous aged care residents and their families, friends or carers about experiences of restraint in residential aged care since 1 July 2019.

Even if your residents are not aware of the Restraints Principles, AHA would still like to hear their views on the use of restraint in residential aged care.

Read more:

Reminder: encourage consumers to have their say on use of physical and chemical restraint in residential aged care

In this edition:

• Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (VACRC) Update
• Update for Queensland Providers
• Updated NSW Health Advice for Residential Aged Care Facilities and Home Care Providers
• Workforce Retention Bonus Second Payment
• National Meals on Wheels Day
• Nutrition during COVID-19

Resources:

• Updated Victorian EPA advice on clinical waste
• Establishing communications fact sheet for aged care facilities

Read more:

COVID-19 Update – 28 August 2020

Research from the University of Queensland estimates that if aged care homes operate efficiently it would cost around $621 million per year to improve all homes to the best quality level measured in Australia’s current aged care system.

The cost for all aged care homes to improve quality and to operate with a small-sized home model would be around $3.2 billion per year.

The University of Queensland conducted its research for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety using detailed financial data, a comprehensive set of care quality indicators for aged care homes, and a measure of relative care needs, which was developed by the University of Wollongong.

The findings are presented in Research Paper 9 – The cost of residential aged care and Research Paper 10 – Technical mapping between ACFI and AN ACC.

Read more:

Higher funding needed for residential aged care

Research Paper 9 – The cost of residential aged care (.pdf)

Research Paper 10 – Technical mapping between ACFI and AN-ACC (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) statement on the national COVID-19 response for residential aged care facilities
• Reinforcement of Australia’s aged care sector with additional funding
• National Aged Care Emergency Response Program
• Victorian Aged Care Response Centre Hub
• Older persons COVID-19 support line
• Updated NSW Health advice for aged care providers

Resources:

• Guide to the Establishment of an Aged Care Health Emergency Response Operations Centre
• ICEG have updated the current Guidelines on the use of face shields and other protective eyewear in health and residential care facilities.
• Newmarch House Review Findings Media Release and letter to Aged Care Providers from Minister Colbeck

Read more:

COVID-19 Update – 26 August 2020

Published by: Anita Courtney, Victor Harcourt and Johanna Heaven

With Victoria’s COVID-19 cases on a slow decline, Stay at Home Directions are said to be in place for at least another three weeks. Whilst staying at home is nothing new to Victorians who have faced the harshest restrictions in the country, many aged care providers are not aware that these Directions apply to their residents. The implications of these Directions applying to aged care mean that residents should not be leaving their aged care homes, even if it is to temporarily live with their family.

Read more:

Managing leave in residential aged care during Victoria’s lockdown

Set out below is a selection of the submissions that were received from organisations and individuals addressing key questions raised in Consultation Paper 2.

The Royal Commission has received a number of submissions on financing aged care, following a request for submissions made by the Commissioners in Consultation Paper 2. Some information has been redacted by the Royal Commission.

These submissions are published without any adoption or endorsement by the Royal Commission and without any comment by the Royal Commission on the material contained in them.

Read more:

Consultation Paper 2 submissions

Below is a list of updated and new COVID Documents from the Department of Health.

Read more:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) National Aged Care Emergency Response briefing pack for providers (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) National Aged Care Emergency Response briefing pack for workers (.pdf)

Aged Care Workforce Retention Payment: September 2020 Variation Request and Declaration Form (.pdf)

Eligible Aged Care Worker Staffing Profile Spreadsheet (.xlsx)

Aged Care Workforce Retention Grant Opportunity Guidelines: Addendum number 2 (.pdf)

Aged Care Workforce Retention Grant Opportunity Guidelines: Addendum number 1 (.pdf)

Aged Care Workforce Retention Grant Opportunity Guidelines (.pdf)

Guide to the establishment of an aged care health emergency response operations centre (.pdf)

Victorian Aged Care Response Centre – key contacts for families of aged care residents (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Commissioner’s message
• Online self-assessment survey
• Identifying key personnel and roles during an outbreak
• Wearing of face shields
• Cohorting Consumers with COVID-19
• The Commission’s regulatory activities
• New COVID-19 resources for consumers
• Better use of medications in aged care
• Provider management of risks to consumers who live at home
• Assessing the Standards – residential aged care services
• A free sign language interpreting service
• Dementia Australia National Symposium moves to free webinar series
• Resources
• Innovative consumer engagement
• Q and A – Talking success stories!

Read more:

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #21 – July/August 2020