News

Services Australia’s quarterly review of residential fees was run on Friday 28 October 2022.

This process is used to update care recipients’ fees to align with any changes in their financial circumstances and make corresponding adjustments to subsidy payments for providers.

This quarterly review has considered both:

• the routine indexation of aged care fees on 20 September 2022
• the introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) care funding model on 1 October 2022.

Read more:

Important update: Residential aged care quarterly review of fees

As the Department of Health & Aged Care continue to release further details and documents on AN-ACC we will continue to update these here for you.

They have released updated and/or new guides on:

1. Are AN-ACC assessments high quality? (.pdf)
2. How allied health care is supported under AN-ACC (.pdf)
3. Why is reporting care staffing minutes important? (.pdf)
4. Quality assurance of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) – Final report (.pdf)

Upcoming Webinar:

• Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) update: Thursday, Nov 17 2022 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

News about the reforms:

• Financial Report on the Australian Aged Care Sector 2020-21
• Webinar for workers: Code of Conduct for Aged Care
• Webinar: Updates on AN-ACC, care minutes and 24/7 nursing
• Webinar: The Future of Aged Care – Leading the Transformation
• Reminder: Star Ratings webinar
• Quality and Safety Commission review: Public submissions now open

Other news:

• Grant Forecast Opportunity: Improving respite care for people with dementia and their carers
• Webinar: Dementia: An introduction
• Information sessions: Voluntary assisted dying in Queensland
• Webinar: Supporting Older People from CALD Backgrounds with a Hearing Impairment
• Webinar recording: Aged care Australian Apprenticeships (Traineeships)
• National Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program

For home care providers:

• Update on national provider of CHSP GEAT services
• Vision Australia webinar: Vision loss tips for CHSP providers

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #2022/26 (.pdf)

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new and updated resources.

Read more:

Serious Incident Response Scheme Guidelines for providers of home services (.pdf)

Code of Conduct for Aged Care: Guidance for aged care workers and governing persons (.pdf)

Effective incident management system checklist (.pdf)

24 October 2022 – Letter to providers regarding adverse weather events (.pdf)

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

Read more:

Temporary relocation of residents in emergency situations (.pdf)

Key findings – Financial report on the Australian aged care sector 2020-21 (.pdf)

Financial report on the Australian aged care sector 2020-21 (.pdf)

Star Ratings fact sheet for residential aged care providers (.pdf)

Preparing for the new in-home aged care program – Service Provider Fact Sheet No.1 (.pdf)

Places to people – embedding choice in residential aged care – consultation outcomes (.pdf)

Disability Support for Older Australians Program – How to complete a change of needs application (.pdf)

Exposure draft – Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Incident Management and Reporting) Instrument 2022 (.pdf)

Exposure Draft Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Governance and Reporting for Approved Providers) Principles 2022 (.pdf)

Council of Elders – Let’s change aged care together (.pdf)

Launch of the Aged Care Quality Standards public consultation webinar – presentation slides (.pdf)

ACFI Monitoring report – July 2022 (.pdf)

Why is reporting care staffing minutes important? (.pdf)

Quality assurance of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) – Final report (.pdf)

Aged care workers are in line for a much deserved pay rise because of the advocacy of unions, the sector and the Albanese Labor Government.

The Fair Work Commission has made an interim decision for an increase to minimum wages of at least 15 per cent for aged care workers in direct care roles on a number of different awards.

The Commission has announced a further process to consider timing, possible further increases for these workers, and whether to also grant a pay rise for aged care administrative and support staff.

Our Government promised to fight for a pay rise for Australia’s aged care workers and we did. We made a submission to the Fair Work Commission in August that unequivocally supported a wage increase.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended the Government contribute to this union-initiated work value case. Unlike the previous Liberal and National government, we delivered.

The Government’s submission also made it clear we would fund an increase to award wages – and we will.

Read more:

A pay rise for aged care workers

In this edition:

• Grant Opportunity: Aged Care Infection Prevention and Control Training
• Expanded eligibility and quicker access to COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments
• ACIPC conference 2022

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update 3 November 2022

In this Edition:

• Commissioner’s message
• Update on sector reforms with regulatory implications
• Transition care services to be regulated from 1 December
• Revised Quality Standards public consultation underway
• Quality and safety in home services – risks in focus: vulnerable consumers
• Partnerships in care resources
• Update on Commission’s response to SCHADS Award changes
• Measures of good practice: food, dining and nutrition webinar for residential providers – 17 November
• Upcoming key dates for financial reporting
• New and updated Commission resources

Read more:

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #46 – October 2022

News about the reforms:

• Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) Bill 2022 passed by Parliament
• Draft provider governance legislation released
• Webinar: Strengthening provider governance – a regulatory perspective
• Extending the Serious Incident Response Scheme to home care and flexible care providers
• Register for the SIRS home care webinar this Thursday 3 November
• Aged care reform consultations now open
• Webinar recording: Aged Care Quality Standards public consultation
• Reminder: Publish your General Purpose Financial Statement by 30 November
• Registered Nurses’ Payment grant round opens soon

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #2022/25 (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Webinar – aged care COVID-19 update
• PPE pre-deployment for residential aged care homes
• Reporting of aged care residents and aged care staff influenza vaccinations in 2022
• Reporting all COVID-19 cases and positive resident deaths via the My Aged Care COVID-19 provider portal

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update 28 October 2022