Author: Jesse

The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency has released the September 2017 issue of their ‘Quality Standard’ newsletter.

Read more:

Quality Standard – September 2017 (.pdf)

Australian Aged Care Quality Agency

Changes will be made to the My Aged Care provider portal on 25 September 2017 to support the ACFI Review and Reconsideration processes.

These changes are part of the department’s continued investment in the delivery of system and process improvements to My Aged Care.

Read more:

ACFI My Aged Care provider portal changes

Readiness checklist for residential care providers

The Aged Care Complaints Commissioner Annual Report 2016-17 is now available.

The Aged Care Complaints Commissioner provides a free service for anyone to raise their concerns about the quality of care or services being delivered to people receiving aged care services subsidised by the Australian Government.

The report gives some good insights into the increasing awareness of people about aged care, especially at a time when more than ever, there are more choices and more freedom for people in aged care to make those choices.

Read more:

Annual Report 2016-17 (.pdf)

Aged Care Complaints Commissioner Annual Report

Aust. Ageing Agenda – Medication issues top complaints in residential care

LASA – Australia’s aged care system delivers but there is more work to do (.pdf)

The next version (v5.5) of Manad Plus will be available to be released later today.

The Department of Health only provided the new 20 September ‘Schedule of Fees and Charges’ late yesterday afternoon so once we have these added and tested the version will be ready to be pushed out.

Please notify the Help Desk when you would like the version pushed out to your server. If you are not ready yet, then that is okay, contact the Help Desk only when you are ready and this way you will get the latest version.

IMPORTANT:

Please do not update to the newer version if you have not had time to inform all your staff/users of the contents of the Release Notes. This poses far to greater risk to your organisation if you are not ready and prepared for the changes. Ideally, you should have had a meeting(s) with all your users so they are aware of the changes and what to expect before any upgrade takes place.

The Department of Health (DoH) has released the latest Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care, which take effect from 20 September 2017, as well as the updated Aged Care Subsidies and Supplements – New Rates of Payment from 20 September 2017.

Key Items:

• Maximum Basic Daily Fee – Residential Care is $49.42,

• Maximum Permissible Interest Rate – for all new residents from 1 October 2017 – 31 December 2017 is 5.70%,

• Base Interest Rate remains unchanged at 3.75%.

Read more:

Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care from 20 September 2017 (.pdf)

Schedule of Fees and Charges for Pre 1 July 2014 Residents From 20 September 2017 (.pdf)

Schedule of subsidies and supplements from 20 September 2017 (.pdf)

We are currently preparing a User Group Meeting to be held in both Sydney & Melbourne.

These will be held on:

– Thursday 16th November 2017 (Sydney)

– Friday 17th November 2017 (Melbourne)

Once we have confirmed the venues we will send out an agenda for the day.

If there is something you would like us to cover at the meeting then please let us know: support@manad.com.au

In Case You Missed It – Below are links to recent articles on Aged Care and Healthcare that may be of interest:

Read more:

AAA – Government applies co-design principles to wider reform

AAA – Government moves to make flu jab compulsory for residential care staff

AAA – Home care system troubles ‘compounding’, says peak

AAA – Quality agency to conduct sector-wide review of infection control procedures

AAA – Profits up but full effects of ACFI changes not yet known, says ACFA

ACG – Online retirement village cost calculator – the first of its kind

NM – Demand aged care plans, nurse tells families

AAA – Call for decision aids specific to residential aged care

Engadget – Robot caregivers are saving the elderly from lives of loneliness

ABC – Aveo resident diagnosed with scabies claims company covered up skin condition outbreak

ACG – Government action on recent influenza outbreak in aged care

ABC – Lendlease accused of hiking prices, reducing services at retirement villages

FR – Levitt Robinson lodges Class action against Aveo

AAA – Tune recommends wide-ranging changes to further reform

ABC – Call for tougher aged-care standards, amid claims of nursing home neglect

Minister Wyatt has released the first Home Care Packages data report on operations since the reforms to home care began on 27 February 2017 through to 30 June 2017.

The report presents data across four key categories:

• eligibility and assessment of home care consumers

• the national prioritisation process (including the number of packages assigned and the number of people on the national queue)

• service delivery (demand and supply for home care across aged care planning regions)

• provider behaviour on maximum exit amounts published on the My Aged Care service finder.

Read more:

Home Care Packages data report and wait times

The Department of Health has released a new edition of its ‘Information for Aged Care Providers’ newsletter.

Read more:

Information for Aged Care Providers – Issue #2017/17 (.pdf)

Released: 14 September 2017

The Turnbull Government has announced major initiatives in home care services and improved access to the My Aged Care system, as it releases the report of the Legislated Review of Aged Care 2017.

An additional 6,000 home care packages will be made available to support more older Australians with higher care needs to remain living in the comfort of their own homes.

At the same time, support for aged care consumers will be streamlined through a $20 million investment in the My Aged Care information system, to improve public access, especially for rural, regional and remote clients.

Read more:

6,000 extra high need home care packages and $20 million My Aged Care revamp (.pdf)