Month: October 2023

Sector news

• Reminder: Provider reporting due
• Governing for Reform in Aged Care: Podcast season 3 now available
• Webinar: Trauma informed aged care for Forgotten Australians and Care Leavers

Residential care

• Star Ratings: provider preview temporarily paused
• New COVID-19 supplement support
• Care time reporting assessments have started
• Survey open: COVID-19 vaccine uptake
• Webinar reminder: Quality improvement in residential aged care

In-home care

• Webinar: CHSP provider update
• Webinar: Introduction to Screen Readers

Workforce

• Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payments – Round 2

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update: Issue 42

News about the reforms

• Aged care reform survey closing soon
• Webinar: Digital Transformation Tech Talk
• Professional learning events: Governing for Reform in Aged Care

Sector news

• Briefing session: High risk weather and how to prepare
• Aged care fees review: System temporarily offline

Residential care

• New resources on palliative care entry
• Design competition: Reimagining where we live
• Reminder: Specialist Dementia Care Program: targeted competitive grant opportunity closing soon

In-home care

• Fair Work Commission Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) Base Funding Grant is now open
• Home Care Package (HCP) providers: refer your care recipients to Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme
• New online application for the Continence Aids Payment Scheme

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update: Issue 41

I am writing to provide information to support your planning for the high-risk weather season and to underscore the importance of preparation to assist your response when emergency events occur.

This is vital to ensure the continuity of care and services to older people receiving aged care.

A heightened risk of bushfires and potentially flooding is expected throughout this spring and summer. Without adequate preparation, such events are likely to adversely impact standards of care and the wellbeing of those receiving care. This is particularly the case when these events are accompanied by:

• a requirement for short notice evacuation of services or parts of services
• staff shortages where staff are unable to travel to work due to impassable
• roads and/or their own personal circumstances
• critical infrastructure issues including power outages and communication
• system failures
• restricted access to essential supplies.

Read more:

Letter from the Commissioner – Preparing for the high-risk weather season (.pdf)

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new and updated resources.

Read more:

Stakeholder Engagement Strategy 2023-2025 (.pdf)

Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline Stakeholder Communications Kit (.pdf)

Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline – Stakeholder Communication Kit Image Assets (.zip)

Prudential audit documentation checklist (.pdf)

Prudential audit factsheet (.pdf)

Procedural fairness and worker regulation – A fact sheet for aged care workers and governing persons (.pdf)

From today residential aged care providers can preview their updated Star Ratings on the Government Provider Management System (GPMS).

Star Rating previews will be available for two weeks.

This update to Star Ratings will include April-June data for Staffing and Quality Measures, with Compliance information updated daily, in response to regulatory decisions.

Services that completed the Residents’ Experience Survey from June to the end of August will see their results reflected in this Star Ratings update. Residents’ Experience Reports will continue to be distributed to participating aged care homes 6 weeks after completion of the survey.

Read more:

Star Ratings: Provider preview has commenced

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

Read more:

Provider Operations Reporting – FAQs (.pdf)

AN-ACC assessment pathways fact sheet (.pdf)

The Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding guide (.pdf)

Guide to palliative care entry into aged care homes (.pdf)

Registered nurse coverage in residential aged care dashboard (.pdf)

Care minutes in aged care homes (.pdf)

Webinar: Quarterly Financial Report – what’s changed (watch)

Greater transparency about aged care providers and services – Questions and Answers (.pdf)

Aged care reform roadmap – 2022 to 2025 (.pdf)

Continence Aids Payment Scheme Application Guidelines and Application Form (.pdf)

Government Provider Management System (GPMS) fact sheet (.pdf)

Screenshots of the Provider Operations Collection Form (.pdf)

Understanding fees for aged care homes (.pdf)

Understanding fees for home care (.pdf)

In a raft of reforms to the responsibilities of approved providers of aged care related to governance which commenced in December 2022, the term ‘governing body’ was inserted into the Aged Care Act 1997. It has created a lot of confusion in the context of the obligation to have a governing body comprised of a majority of independent non-executive persons.

For example, we have been recently asked by a number of approved providers that are companies whether they could meet this obligation but not appoint them as directors. The confusion is not helped by statements such as the following on a website (it was recently removed):

Does a member of the governing body need to be a director of the company?

No. It is possible for a member of your governing body to be a director of the company, but it is not essential. It is important to remember that the majority of your governing body should consist of independent non-executive members. A company director would not be considered independent in this context.

This alert provides an overview of the meaning of ‘governing body’ in aged care legislation, how the term ‘governing person’ is not relevant, and how the new responsibilities relating to approved providers’ governing bodies will affect their organisations.

Read more:

The meaning of ‘governing body’

The Albanese Government has today launched a design ideas competition to test the draft National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines, developed to help aged care homes better meet the needs of residents.

The competition, Reimagining Where We Live, challenges architects and interior designers to come up with innovative ideas when applying the Principles and Guidelines.

The competition will include two sites – one metropolitan and one regional – with teams invited to enter designs for one or both. For each site, a first prize of $50,000 and second prize of $20,000 is available.

The aim of the Principles and Guidelines is to help providers make practical changes to aged care homes and support older people to live meaningful lives in safe environments that promote independence, function and a sense of belonging.

The competition is endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

Read more:

Challenging architects and designers to reimagine the future of aged care homes

Notable Dates

• Aged care sector pulse survey – Closes 31 October
• Webinar: Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy (Workforce and Sector) – Tuesday 24 October
• Webinar: Quality improvement in residential aged care – Thursday 2 November

News about the reforms

• Updated roadmap shows progress of the Aged Care Reform
• Governing for Reform in Aged Care – updated content available

Sector news

• Reminder: Reporting deadlines for providers
• What to expect and how to prepare for the high-risk weather season
• More regular reviews of aged care fees

In-home care

• Webinar: Introduction to accessible documents

Residential care

• Star Ratings quarterly update: Provider preview available
• Reminder: Quality Indicator reporting is closing soon
• Free training for aged care home kitchen teams – apply now
• Webinar: Family carer support in residential aged care
• Reminder: Seeking provider input to the Residents’ Experience Survey process
• Reminder: Provide your feedback on draft Design Principles and Guidelines for residential accommodation

Workforce

• Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements Program

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update: Issue 40

A new independent statutory authority called the Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care has been established today. This new authority will help improve the aged care system so older people can get the care they need. It will do this by calling out problems and identifying areas for improvement, through reports to the Australian Parliament.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended that the Australian Government set up this office. The government did this through the Inspector-General of Aged Care Act 2023.

The Act gives the Inspector-General powers to:

• investigate systemic issues across the aged care system, including complaints management processes
• report on the Government’s implementation of the recommendations from the Royal Commission’s final report.

The Inspector-General will report findings and recommendations on systemic aged care issues to the Australian Government, parliament and public.

The government is currently going through a selection process to appoint the Inspector-General. Until this happens, Mr Ian Yates AM is the acting Inspector-General.

Read more:

New statutory agency to investigate systemic issues in aged care

Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care

Inspector-General of Aged Care Act 2023