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The Albanese Government is investing $135 million in infrastructure grants to support aged care providers operating in rural and remote areas.

The grants will help specialist providers to build and improve services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and First Nations communities.

These grants are the first of two competitive opportunities to open in 2023-24 under the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program.

This round is focused on supporting existing providers to deliver quality services in small rural towns, remote and very remote communities.

Grants can be used for a range of purposes – from minor equipment purchases to building upgrades, extensions and new builds or purpose-built staff accommodation to support the aged care workforce.

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$135m for rural and remote aged care services

Aged Care Capital Assistance Program

The unprecedented high temperatures across Australia during spring and confirmation of an El Niño weather phenomenon for the 2023-24 summer both foreshadow the likelihood of multiple heatwaves in coming months.

It is vital that aged care providers recognise and prepare for the risks that heatwaves present for older people.

While very high temperatures can affect people differently, it is known that frail older people are at higher risk of hospitalisation and even death when exposed to extreme heat. A recent report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicated that extreme heat accounted for 7,104 injury hospitalisations and 293 deaths in Australia over the 10 years from July 2012 to June 2022. Heatwave-related deaths during this period spiked during severe El Niño years, such as during 2014, 2016, and across 2019 and 2020. In the 3 years from July 2019 to June 2022, people aged 65 and over were the most commonly hospitalised age cohort of all those admitted to hospital for heat-related injuries.

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Summer clinical alert: Caring for older people in hot weather

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

Approved providers have until 1 December this year to complete their first annual suitability check for key personnel.

Failing to comply with this requirement will carry a significant penalty of 300 penalty units, which is just shy of $100,000.00.

How to satisfy this requirement

Approved providers must assess each of their key personnel against each of the “suitability matters” which are listed in 8C of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018 and be reasonably satisfied that the individual is suitable to be involved in the provision of aged care.

Providers must keep records of the assessments including:

• The names of each person assessed;
• The date or dates on which the suitability matters were considered (indicating it may take some time to undertake this process);
• The outcome of the approved provider’s consideration of each suitability matter in relation to the key personnel; and
• The reasons for reaching that outcome.

Read more:

Only one month to go – Have you completed your annual Key Personnel Suitability Matters check?

The second round of applications for the Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment is now open.

Registered nurses who are directly employed through an aged care provider for 6 or 12 months can receive payments of up to $6000.

The eligibility periods are:

• 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2023 (full payment)
• 1 May 2023 – 31 October 2023 (half payment)

Additional payments are available to nurses who work in a rural or remote area, hold a relevant postgraduate qualification, or have leadership responsibilities.

Aged care providers can apply for their eligible nurses. Applications are open from 6 November 2023 to 20 December 2023.

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Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payments Program

Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment to reward clinical skills and leadership

News about the reforms

• Aged Care Taskforce: Results of the consultation on the draft aged care funding principles
• Draft Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy released

Sector news

• Oxygen Supplement Certification by Nurse Practitioners
• Dementia Australia introduces 4 new leadership programs
• Residential care
• Free training with the Maggie Beer Foundation for aged care chefs and cooks
• Prepare now for bushfire season

In-home care

• Updated Home Care Package pricing report now available
• Webinar: How to connect older people with smart technology

Workforce

• New edition of Working in aged care in Australia booklet

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Your Aged Care Update: Issue 43

This is the final Residential Aged Care Communiqué 2023 which presents the results of two investigations into a resident’s death due to a fall. The common underlying factor in both cases was ‘timeliness of care’. In both cases the falls were not anticipated. Both residents were under different forms of observation or checks and yet neither of the fatally injured residents were discovered by the allocated staff.

The sections ‘Reflections of senior nurses’, the editorial and detailed authors’ comments explore many of the issues. The variability in how each facility approaches resident supervision and observation requires local application of the lessons from these two cases.

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Residential Aged Care Communiqué Volume 18 Issue 4 November 2023 (.pdf)

A temporary decision-making hierarchy for the appointment of restrictive practices substitute decision-makers is in place until 1 December 2024. A new mechanism will be included in the new Aged Care Act in the future.

Providers can use this hierarchy in the meantime to ascertain the existence of a ‘restrictive practices substitute decision-maker’ for a consumer (RPSDM). If one of these five hierarchy pathways are fulfilled, an individual may be appointed as a restrictive practices nominee. An RPSDM is a person or body who can give informed consent on behalf of a resident to the use of a restrictive practice.

Read more:

How to appoint a ‘Restrictive Practices Nominee’ – the temporary hierarchy

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

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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)