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We are supporting quality improvement and better health outcomes for older Australians in residential aged care by introducing additional quality indicators.

The new quality indicators to be included in the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) are:

• activities of daily living
• incontinence care
• hospitalisation
• workforce
• consumer experience
• quality of life.

Detailed guidance and resources will be available by 1 October 2022 to support residential aged care providers with enhanced monitoring and reporting to drive quality improvement and greater transparency.

Residential aged care providers should collect the new quality indicators as a routine part of quality care, prior to mandatory collection from 1 April 2023 and reporting to the department by 21 July 2023.

Read more:

Important update – New residential aged care quality indicators

QI Program website

DRAFT – National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program Manual 3.0 – Part A (.pdf)

News about the reforms:

• Get ready for AN-ACC
• Advice to providers during first four months from 1 October 2022 under AN-ACC
• Advance notice: Registered Nurses’ Payment round
• Webinar: Upcoming changes to Specialisation Verification

Other news:

• Dementia Action Week
• Updated Dementia in Australia report released
• Webinar: Fighting Parkinson’s – What you need to know

For residential care providers:

• Reminder: Aged Care Providers Financial Report

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update #19 (.pdf)

An update of the Schedules for residential and home care will take effect from 20 September 2022.

Quarterly review

Services Australia’s quarterly review of residential and home care fees will take effect from 20 September 2022. This process enables care recipients’ fees to be set to align with any changes in their financial circumstances.

Care recipients and providers will receive letters letting them know if there is a change to fees or if a refund may be due.

The quarterly review of home care fees will take place on 24-25 September 2022. The online claiming system for Home Care will be unavailable from 8pm Friday 23 September 2022 until 8am Monday 26 September 2022 as quarterly review tasks are undertaken.

The quarterly review of residential care fees will occur after the introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) in October 2022.

Read more:

September 2022 indexation: Updated Schedules, quarterly review and change to MPIR

Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care (.pdf)

Schedule of Fees and Charges for Pre-1 July 2014 Residential and Home Care Recipients (.pdf)

Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements for Aged Care (.pdf)

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

Read more:

ACFI Monitoring report – June 2022 (.pdf)

Schedule of Fees and Charges for Pre-1 July 2014 Residential and Home Care Recipients (.pdf)

Schedule of Fees and Charges for Residential and Home Care (.pdf)

Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements for Aged Care (.pdf)

Electronic National Residential Medication Chart (eNRMC) adoption grant opportunity information pack (.pdf)

Electronic National Residential Medication Chart (eNRMC) transitional arrangement – Residential aged care services information pack (.pdf)

Allied health workforce data gap analysis – issues paper (.pdf)

Provider checklists for transitioning to AN-ACC (.pdf)

QFR Guide – Registered Nurse care minutes reporting for residential aged care providers

QFR Guide – Care costs and care minutes reporting for Residential Aged Care providers

QFR Guide – Allied Health reporting for Residential Aged Care providers

Quarterly financial report updates and Q&A

Exposure draft and explanatory statement of the Quality of Care Amendment (Restrictive Practices) Principles 2022 (.pdf)

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new and updated resources.

Read more:

Aged care reforms – a regulatory perspective fact sheet (.pdf)

Aged care reforms – an overview fact sheet (.pdf)

SIRS reportable incidents – Neglect (.pdf)

What is an effective incident management system? Serious Incident Response Scheme (.pdf)

Appointing an advisor – fact sheet (.pdf)

Prudential Standards – Financial and Prudential Reporting Responsibilities fact sheet (.pdf)

Aged care approved provider applicant guide (.pdf)

The webinar was an opportunity for Providers to learn more about the Star Rating System and how the CEIs feed into them.

This webinar also covered the purpose of the CEIs, the methodology and the importance of participating.

Watch:

August 2022: CEI webinar

An exposure draft of the Quality of Care Amendment (Restrictive Practices) Principles 2022 is now available for review.

The draft legislative instrument proposes changes to the Quality of Care Principles 2014 to set out a hierarchy of persons or bodies authorised to give informed consent for older Australians in residential aged care. This only applies if the resident cannot give informed consent themselves.

As part of the changes included under the recently passed Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response) Act 2022, this draft instrument seeks to provide greater certainty in states and territories where laws do not allow another person or body to give informed consent to the use of restrictive practices on the behalf of a resident.

Read more:

Informed consent on the use of restrictive practices

Restrictive practices in aged care – a last resort

Exposure Draft Quality of Care Amendment (Restrictive Practices) Principles 2022 (.pdf)

Explanatory Statement – Quality of Care Amendment (Restrictive Practices) Principles 2022 (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Webinar – aged care COVID-19 update
• National Cabinet and Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) Statements – update to COVID-19 settings
• Australia’s first Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to join rollout
• Useful links for the sector from last weeks’ meeting
• Recording available – COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience webinar

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update 14 September 2022

News about the reforms:

• Quarterly Financial Report submission
• Food and Nutrition reporting: Explanatory Notes now available
• Webinar recording now available: Reforming in-home aged care and regulation update

Other news:

• myGov has changed but My Aged Care Online Account remains the same
• Community Visitors Scheme celebrates 30 years
• Free booklet and training to support LGBTI people with dementia in aged care
• National Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #2022/18 (.pdf)

The new Key Personnel in Aged Care reforms commence 1 December 2022. They affect board members, employees, contractors, consultants and volunteers who are key personnel as at 1 December or who become key personnel.

Approved providers must conduct a much more rigorous assessment about whether an individual is suitable to be involved in the provision of aged care. Notifications must be made within 14 days to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Key personnel must also notify the approved provider of a change of circumstances.

The reforms may potentially make existing key personnel unsuitable due to events that have occurred prior to 1 December. This may result in them not being able to fulfil the inherent requirements of their role.

Approved providers should start preparing for the implementation of the reforms prior to 1 December and consider the impact on recruitment prior to 1 December.

Read more:

Current Key Personnel and Historic Suitability Matters – Are they still suitable to be key personnel?