News

DoH have released communiques that explain in further detail the provisions relating to the annual and lifetime caps, and responds to some general questions about the capping arrangements.

Read more:

Annual and lifetime caps – residential care (.pdf)

Annual and lifetime caps – home care packages (.pdf)

Media Release: 16 December 2015

A stronger compliance regime, including tough new fines, and better-targeting of funding will be introduced to protect the integrity of Australia’s residential aged care sector and the thousands of passionate providers delivering older Australians high quality care every day.

Minister for Aged Care Sussan Ley today announced that, for the first time, fines would be introduced for aged care providers caught making repeated false claims under the Government’s $10.6 billion Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI), which directly subsidises providers to deliver care services for residents based on their level of need.

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Stronger Compliance to Protect Integrity of Aged Care Sector (.pdf)

The 2015 16 MYEFO document was released on 15 December 2015 by the Treasurer, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, and the Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon. Mathias Cormann.

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison announced that $472 million would be cut from aged care services and $595 million from health workforce programs, including aged care.

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Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO)

APPENDIX A: POLICY DECISIONS TAKEN SINCE THE 2015 16 BUDGET

2015-16 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook – The Bare Facts (.pdf)

The Aged Care Pricing Commissioner’s Annual Report 2014 – 15 includes information required to be reported under the Aged Care Act 1997, and other aspects of the Commissioner’s operations.

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Aged Care Pricing Commissioner Annual Report 2014-15 (.pdf)

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

Information for Aged Care Providers – Issue 31 – 11 Dec 2015 (.pdf)

Hepburn Health Service, a healthcare provider delivering services to a population of 17,000 people in country Victoria, is the first aged and home care provider in Australia to receive a Rainbow Tick Accreditation.

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Hepburn Health is ‘Over the Rainbow’

There are important end of year reminders from the Department of Human Services (DHS) on:

– Operational hours over the holiday period

– Advance payments for January 2016

– Checking your claim form

– Quarterly Review January 2016

– What is the Quarterly Review?

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End of the Year Reminders for all Providers

DoH have received a number of enquiries about when an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessment is required.

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ACAT Assessments and Care Recipient Admissions

The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency has released the November 2015 issue of their ‘Quality Standard’ newsletter.

Read more:

Quality Standard – November 2015 (.pdf)

Updated: 1st December 2015

DSS have updated their site on the The National Aged Care Quality Indicator Programme which is voluntary for aged care service providers.

Implementation of the programme commences on 1 January 2016 for residential aged care facilities.

Read more:

Quality Indicators