Month: April 2022

From today, residential aged care facilities can commence administering COVID-19 Winter dose vaccinations to aged care residents and workers who meet ATAGI’s criteria of a vulnerable individual.

A winter dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for residents in aged care ahead of the winter season, and aligns with the Commonwealth’s winter preparedness planning.

ATAGI recommends that aged care residents and other vulnerable groups receive their COVID-19 Winter dose from 4 months after their initial booster dose.

Read more:

COVID-19 Winter dose program in residential aged care

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new and updated resources.

Read more:

Partnerships in care: Supporting older people’s wellbeing in residential care (.pdf)

Application for reconsideration (.docx)

In this edition:

• Winter Preparedness Webinar
• Updated Portal FAQs
• REMINDER – Aged Care Emergency and Crisis Management Training Program extended to 30 June 2022
• Information for Western Australian Aged Care Providers – Organising PCR testing during an Outbreak

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update – 11 April 2022

The Morrison Government will direct $14.8 million to key aged care groups advocating for senior Australians.

This funding will be provided over three years to ensure the organisations can continue supporting and advocating for older people during a period of significant change and reform of the aged care system.

Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the funding would ensure the voices of senior Australians across a number of diverse communities.

“We are undertaking once in a generation reform of the aged care sector,” Minister Colbeck said.

“As we work towards a high quality and safe aged care system, we must have a deep understanding of the views, the wishes and the concerns of our diverse communities.

“It is vital that people with dementia, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQI+ individuals and communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, gerontologists and associated health professionals continue to be well represented.

Read more:

Funding boost for aged care advocates

Residential aged care providers can now access the outcome of completed Australian National Aged Care Classifications (AN-ACC) shadow assessments through the My Aged Care Service Provider Portal.

The department has also published information about the AN-ACC funding reform, including the following 2022-23 Budget announcements:

• the AN-ACC starting price
• changes to the AN-ACC Base Care Tariffs
• transition support

Read more:

Aged Care Alert: Updates on AN-ACC funding reform

Residential aged care funding reform

Funding reform resources

Dear Minister,

Thank you for your letter of 7 March 2022 setting out the Government’s Statement of Expectations for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission). I welcome and support the Government’s expectations of the Commission and I am pleased to provide the Commission’s Statement of Intent in response.

The Government’s Statement of Expectations and this Statement of Intent will be published on the Commission’s website and included on the Transparency Portal with the Commission’s corporate plan.

As the national regulator of Commonwealth supported aged care providers, our role has never been more important. The Commission is unwavering in our resolve to deliver best practice regulation with the goal of protecting and improving the safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life of aged care consumers. We are also committed to implementing the Government’s significant, ongoing reforms to the aged care sector.

Read more:

Commissioner Statement of Intent 7 April 2022 (.pdf)

News about the reforms:

• 1,500 new Nursing and Allied Health Scholarships
• Food and Nutrition report reveals spending increase
• Reminder: Have your say on new residential aged care design standards

Other news:

• Have your say: Aged care research priorities survey
• Webinar: Digital Transformation Tech Talk
• Meeting the diverse needs of senior Australians

For residential care providers:

• Deployment of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for residential aged care facilities
• AN-ACC technical documentation now available for software developers

For home care providers:

• Changes to My Aged Care: update your pricing information now

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update #06 (.pdf)

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new and updated resources.

Read more:

Appointing an advisor – fact sheet (.pdf)

Prudential Standards – Governance Standard (.pdf)

What is open disclosure? (video)

Consumer guide — What is open disclosure? (.pdf)

A3 poster — What is open disclosure? (.pdf)

Residential Aged Care Providers can apply now for the Specialist Dementia Care Program.

The Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) provides care for people who are exhibiting very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, and are unable to be appropriately cared for by mainstream aged care services. The Australian Government is committed to establish 35 SDCP units nationally, with a unit in each of the 31 Primary Health Network (PHN) regions

Read more:

Aged Care Alert: Specialist Dementia Care Program Phase Two Grant Opportunity now open

Apply now on GrantConnect

A list of new and updated resources – including apps, audio and video resources and other publications – about aged care.

Read more:

Growing and supporting the aged care workforce (.pdf)

Get involved in transforming aged care (.pdf)

Aged care reforms progress in 2021 (.pdf)

RACF volunteer factsheet and statement of agreement (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – winter doses for senior Australians (.pdf)

Aged care funding reforms (video)

COVID-19 vaccination – Consent guidance material for residential aged care (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – What to expect on COVID-19 vaccination day at your residential aged care facility (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – Booster information for residential aged care workers – are you up to date? (.pdf)

Aged care workforce action plan 2022 – 2025 (.pdf)

How to get your COVID-19 vaccination – residential aged care workers (.pdf)

Protect yourself and aged care residents from COVID-19 (.pdf)

Why should aged care workers get a COVID-19 vaccine (.pdf)

Are you up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations? (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – Shared decision making guide for frail older people, including those in residential aged care facilities (.pdf)

Food and Nutrition Report (.pdf)