News

Revised Schedule of Aged Care Subsidies and Supplements

The Schedule of Aged Care Subsidies and Supplements applying from 1 October 2022 has been revised regarding the amount of the Fixed component (Base Care Tariff or BCT) for services where funding is calculated based on operational places (per day). The BCT notional funding per operational place for these services is now expressed as a three decimal place amount.

Information on BCTs for these services is in the updated schedule.

Providers can email questions about BCTs to ACFR@health.gov.au.

Important change to the 40% supported resident rules

The 40% supported resident rules that apply to the maximum amount of accommodation supplement and concessional resident supplement payable for eligible permanent residents were simplified from 1 October 2022.

Assessment of the proportion of care provided to supported residents will be made on a calendar month basis rather than daily, and the requirement is for 40% or more supported residents (instead of more than 40%).

For this purpose, supported residents are residents eligible for either concessional resident supplement or accommodation supplement.

Read more:

Revised Aged Care Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements and an important change to the 40% supported resident rules

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

Accommodation supplement for aged care

Concessional resident supplement for aged care

We feel for everyone battling the current floods and would like to offer any support we can. If the floods have impacted your home or you have taken on the residents of another home, and you require anything, then please reach out to the Help Desk team or your dedicated Client Manager for support.

If you have taken on residents that have relocated due to the floods, then please note the Department of Health and Aged Care has released a fact sheet on how to manage this process. It covers how funding works and what providers should do when temporarily relocating residents in an emergency situation.

Read more:

Temporary relocation of residents in emergency situations (.pdf)

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

Read more:

Care and Support Sector Code of Conduct and Consultation Summary Report – Easy Read (.pdf)

Temporary relocation of residents in emergency situations (.pdf)

A new program for in-home aged care – Discussion paper (.pdf)

A new program for In-Home Aged Care – Overview (.pdf)

Responses to questions from the Home Care Packages program – Indirect and care management charges webinar (.pdf)

Poster for the review of Aged Care Quality Standards (.pdf)

Terms of reference – Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission capability review (.pdf)

Key findings from the first Home Care Packages Program review (video)

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

National Guidelines for the Prevention, Control and Public Health Management of Outbreaks of Acute Respiratory Infection (including COVID-19 and Influenza) in Residential Care Facilities (.pdf)

Star Ratings will be published for all residential aged care services by the end of 2022.

Star Ratings will be based on Compliance and Resident Experience, as well as Quality Measures and Staffing information reported by approved providers through the:

• National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indictor Program (QI Program) – 1 July to 30 September 2022 quarter for the current 5 quality indicators is due by 21 October 2022.
• Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) – 1 July to 30 September 2022 period reporting is due by 4 November 2022 using the Forms Administration’s data collection portal.

Late or non-submission of data is expected to result in a 1 Star Rating for the relevant sub-category and reduce a service’s overall Star Rating.

Find more information about Star Ratings, the QI Program and QFR on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Read more:

REMINDER: Star Ratings data is due now

Star ratings for residential aged care

National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program)

Quarterly Financial Report

Forms Administration portal

Know the difference between incontinence associated dermatitis and pressure injury to improve consumer health outcomes.

Key points:

• Clinical staff should be made aware of the differences between incontinence associated dermatitis (IAD) and pressure injury (PI).
• IAD and PIs are commonly confused.
• If the consumer is not incontinent, it is not IAD.
• IAD and PI can coexist.
• Both conditions must be adequately assessed and monitored, including photographic monitoring where appropriate.
• If either condition continues to progress, specialist advice should be sought.

Read more:

Clinical Alerts: Incontinence associated dermatitis and pressure injury

Distinguishing Between Incontinence Associated Dermatitis (IAD) & Pressure Injuries (PI) (.pdf)

News about the reforms:

• Aged Care Quality Standards: Public consultation now open
• HCP Program Assurance Community of Practice: Live chat session
• Webinar: Digital Transformation Tech Talk

For home care providers:

• Discussion paper: In-home aged care

Other news:

• Webinar: Living with significant health issues – a life story perspective
• For residential care providers:
• Reminder: Electronic National Residential Medication Chart Grant Opportunity

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #2022/23 (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Flood events and aged care preparedness
• Webinar: High risk weather preparedness briefing

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: Flooding preparedness

In this edition:

• Webinar – aged care COVID-19 update
• COVID-19 isolation requirements for high-risk settings
• Aged care settings

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update 14 October 2022

The State Government released the Retirement Villages Amendment Bill 2022 Exposure Draft on Saturday 8 October 2022. There is an initial consultation period until 28 October 2022, when the Government will go into caretaker mode. The next stage of consultation will then depend upon the outcome of the State election.

The Bill significantly re-writes the Retirement Villages Act 1986 (Vic) and makes many fundamental changes across all stages of the resident’s journey through a village, from pre contract disclosure, to operational matters during resident occupation, through to resident vacation including reinstatement/refurbishment obligations, payment of exit entitlements, termination rights and dispute resolution processes.

Read more:

Victorian Retirement Villages Amendment Bill

Thank you, Anne – Rosalind and Daniel- and thank you Dr Graeme Blackman AO, for your opening address and recognise your commitment to this sector and his work as Chairman of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains.

Together, Australians stand on the shoulders of 1600 generations of First Nations people and that is our shared history.

As Minister for Aged Care, alongside my parliamentary colleagues here Senator Ruston and Senator Rice … and as representatives of Australia’s Aged Care providers, it must sit with us all collectively to do better for First Nations people.

We need aged care, particularly residential aged care, to be accessible and a welcoming place for all Australians… no matter their circumstances.

And the Albanese Government is working to deliver a First Nations reform agenda for First Nations Elders, led by in-depth consultation with Elders, their families and carers, providers and workers, and relevant community organisations.

We do this in genuine partnership, under the Closing the Gap National Agreement.

The group gathered here today is important.

We need your input, solutions, and efforts to reform aged care.

We need to do this once and do it well.

Read more:

Address to the Aged and Community Care Providers Association Conference – 12 October 2022