Author: Jesse

The Communicable Diseases Network of Australia (CDNA) have released National Guidelines for the Prevention, Control and Public Health Management of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities in Australia.

The guidelines provides best practice information for the prevention and management of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreaks in aged care homes. Providers are encouraged to use these guidelines in conjunction with existing practices.

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Coronavirus (COVID–19) CDNA Guidelines

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines for outbreaks in residential care facilities (.pdf)

This letter is from the Chief Medical Officer to aged care providers. It’s on the COVID-19 outbreak and outlines the Australian Government’s current and future support for the central role aged care providers play in our national response.

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Letter from the Chief Medical Officer regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Letter to Aged Care Providers from the Chief Medical Officer (.pdf)

The Royal Commission will hold a public hearing in Adelaide from Monday 30 March 2020 to Wednesday 01 April 2020.

Adelaide Hearing 5 will inquire into how mental health, oral health and allied health care could be improved for people accessing aged care services, including through:

• increased funding and/or alternative funding models
• incentives for health care professionals to provide services at an individual’s place of residence
• increased training for aged care workers
• clarifying responsibilities of approved providers and implementing performance measures or performance indicators.

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Adelaide Hearing 5

This information sheet includes:

• can staff go to work?
• what should I tell my staff?
• what precautions should I take when cleaning?
• can food and water spread coronavirus?
• how can we help prevent the spread of coronavirus?
• more information?

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Information for health care and residential care workers Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – what you need to know (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) isolation guidance (.pdf)

Resources for health professionals, including pathology providers and healthcare managers

A fact sheet about the Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This fact sheet is about funding for a range of measures to support senior Australians in aged care and home care.

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COVID-19 National Health Plan – Aged Care – Aged Care Preparedness (.pdf)

The World Health Organisation today declared COVID-19 a pandemic. With cases rising in Australia, particularly from community transmission, COVID-19 will present significant ongoing challenges to the aged care industry for months to come. Aged care providers who fail to adequately manage the risk may face legal and/or regulatory action, and risk long-term reputational damage in a highly-charged socio-political climate.

With the ongoing backdrop of the Aged Care Royal Commission, aged care providers operating within a strict regulatory framework are faced with a unique and novel challenge in this public health crisis. That is, how to effectively balance regulatory obligations with their duty of care to residents – all of whom are most vulnerable to the virus. Times are uncertain and responses unpredictable – so far we have seen ‘panic-buying’ leading to individual supply shortages, and a whole country go into lockdown. Such contingencies will have significant impact on the aged care sector, and it is now time to start planning.

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Aged care and the COVID-19 pandemic: 10 legal tips for residential aged care providers

The department’s National Palliative Care Strategy 2018 prioritises the need for early planning and referral to palliative care for people affected by life-limiting illnesses. The key to implementation, is identifying when someone would benefit from palliative care and knowing how to assist them. To do this, many health professionals use prognostic (predictive) tools to identify when someone is at risk of dying within 12 months.

The department is seeking information from all aged care providers to help understand the use of palliative care prognostic (predictive) tools in aged care services.

The survey closes at 5pm on Friday 17 April 2020.

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Palliative Care Prognostic Tools Survey

Healthcare workforce survey: Use of palliative care predictive or prognostic tools

Message from the Commissioner – COVID-19

I am writing to provide an update on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s ongoing actions to ensure that aged care providers are focused on, and supported in, taking all steps necessary to protect the safety and wellbeing of aged care consumers during the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

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March 12 – Commissioner’s letter to providers (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) information

Today the Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced a health package designed to protect all Australians, including vulnerable groups such as senior Australians, from the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Importantly for the aged care sector, the package includes $101.2 million to:

• Educate and train aged care workers in infection control, and enable aged care providers to hire extra nurses and aged care workers for both residential and home care.
• Make available additional aged care staff for deployment to facilities as needed, where an urgent health response is required and to provide extra support for staff and training.
• Provide additional funding for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to work with providers on improving infection control.

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) health package announced

The Australian Government has unveiled a comprehensive $2.4 billion health package to protect all Australians, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with chronic conditions and Indigenous communities, from the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The package provides unprecedented support across primary care, aged care, hospitals, research and the national medical stockpile.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was ensuring Australia’s health system was well-prepared and had the resources it needed to fight coronavirus and protect the community.

“Australia isn’t immune but with this $2.4 billion boost we’re as well prepared as any country in the world,” the Prime Minister said.

“This package is about preventing and treating coronavirus in the coming weeks.

“Our medical experts have been preparing for an event like this for years and this is the next step up in Australia’s plan.

“Our Government alongside the country’s leading medical experts is working around the clock to ensure we have the right tools, information and resources to keep Australians safe.”

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$2.4 BILLION HEALTH PLAN TO FIGHT COVID-19