Author: Jesse

The WA Coroner has released a report addressing inquest findings about the care of a consumer in home care. It highlights the need for roles and responsibilities of care givers to be clearly documented.

The Coroner’s report recommended:

• That, if reasonably practicable, organisations providing home-care generate a document describing the roles and responsibilities of each person involved in a patient’s care, including where applicable the patient’s family or friends, and provide a copy of such a document to those persons at the outset of that care and from time to time as is reasonably necessary.

• That, home-care providers assess their patients’ needs on an on-going basis and, where a home-care provider considers that the care it is able to provide to a patient under a home-care package cannot meet the patient’s needs, the home-care provider meet with the patient and the patients’ next of kin where appropriate to so inform the patient and to discuss the patient’s further care.

Read more:

Industry alert: Coroner’s recommendations for home care

Coroner’s Report (.pdf)

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

Read more:

Quality Standard – March 2017 (.pdf)

Australian Aged Care Quality Agency

Following consultation with the sector, the government is implementing changes to the ACFI announced in the 2015-16 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) measure, Aged Care Provider Funding – improved compliance.

To implement some of the changes, the following amendments have been made to the Classification Principles 2014 (the Principles), effective from 1 March 2017:

• The department will be able to take into account the manner in which care was provided, and the qualifications of the person providing the treatment in determining the level of care that a care recipient needs.
• A fee of $375 (GST exclusive) per ACFI question will be charged for a request for reconsideration of an ACFI review decision.

Read more:

Amendments to the ACFI Classification Principles – 1 March 2017

Amendments to ACFI – 1 March 2017

Basic Subsidy Amount (Aged Care Funding Instrument)

ACFI request for reconsideration template (.pdf)

The latest ACFI User Guide published on 9 December 2016 has been updated to address minor editorial errors.

View the latest version of the ACFI User Guide here:

Updated: 28 February 2017 – ACFI User Guide 2017 (.pdf)

FAQ’s have has also been published on the changes to ACFI 12.4: Complex Health Care Pain Management Questions:

Frequently Asked Questions – Changes to ACFI 12.4: Complex Health Care Pain Management Questions

Released: 27 February 2017

The Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt, AM, MP, today launched Increasing Choice in Home Care, which gives consumers more choice in home care services – such as personal care, nursing and social support – to suit their individual needs.

Mr Wyatt said the major reform will improve the way services are delivered to older people in their homes.

“Changes to Home Care Packages, starting today, mean that funding for home care will – for the first time – follow the consumer, not the provider,” he said

“This major change allows older Australians to direct funding to the provider of their choice to meet their particular needs.

“If their care needs are not being met they can change providers more easily.

“This will result in service providers offering more flexible, personalised services that put older people and their families at the centre of the delivery of high-quality, innovative home care.”

Read more:

Older Australians to have more say in delivery of home care services (.pdf)

Released: 23 February 2017

Thousands of Australians will benefit from an innovative new form of flexible aged care that will help older people remain in their own homes for longer after injury or illness.

The Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt AM, MP, today announced 475 Short-Term Restorative Care places with an estimated total expenditure of up to $34.7 million a year.

The new places are part of the 2016-17 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR).

Mr Wyatt said: “The new short-term restorative care places aim to help people, who are experiencing illness or who have suffered an injury, from prematurely entering residential aged care.”

Read more:

New flexible aged care places help older Australians stay at home for longer (.pdf)

Released: 17 February 2017

A nationally consistent approach to the delivery of aged care advocacy services to help those ‘lost in the system’ is a step closer with the development of the draft National Aged Care Advocacy Framework and today’s opening of the National Aged Care Advocacy Program funding round.

The Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said feedback from the aged care sector is helping to shape how advocacy services can better empower people to exercise choice and control within the aged care system.

“Consumers increasingly have more choice and a greater say over how they access aged care services,” Minister Wyatt said.

“Advocacy providers work one-on-one with older people and their families, particularly the more vulnerable groups in our community, to help them understand their aged care options so they can make informed choices.

Read more:

Advocacy in Aged Care Takes a Step Forward (.pdf)

The Aged Care Financing Authority (ACFA) was asked by government to provide advice on cost neutral mechanisms to ensure access to care for supported residents. This included reviewing the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriate level of the:
• supported resident ratio for each aged care planning region
• 25 per cent discount applied to the maximum accommodation supplement amount where a service does not provide more than 40 per cent of its eligible care recipient days to supported residents.

Read more:

ACFA report on access to care for supported residents now available

Report on access to care for supported residents – January 2017 (.pdf)

DoH – Report on access to care for supported residents – January 2017

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

Read more:

Quality Standard – February 2017 (.pdf)

Australian Aged Care Quality Agency