News

The Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (VACRC) was established by the Commonwealth on 27 July 2020 in a partnership with the Victorian Government to coordinate a Whole of Government, Industry and State response to the threat of COVID-19 to the Aged Care environment.

VACRC brought together agencies, experts and stakeholders, in a unified coordinated effort to strengthen COVID-19 preventative protection in the aged care sector supporting the delivery of a safe environment for residents.

Read more:

Victorian Aged Care Response Centre Cessation 30 September 2022

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new and updated resources.

Read more:

Guidance and resources for providers to support the Aged Care Quality Standards (.pdf)

News about the reforms:

• Register now: Aged Care Quality Standards consultation webinar
• Consultation: a new approach to regulating aged care
• Aged care reform pulse survey
• Webinar recording: Introduction to aged care reforms – a regulatory perspective

For residential care providers:

• AN-ACC funding guide and reporting training videos
• AN-ACC Funding Helpdesk offline for Labour Day public holiday
• Register now: Services Australia webinar on AN-ACC

For home care providers:

• Survey: Payment Platform for in-home aged care providers

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update #20 (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Webinar – aged care COVID-19 update
• COVID-19 advice for people in residential aged care facilities and visitors
• ATAGI statement on defining ‘up-to-date’ status for COVID-19 vaccination
• RATs supply for surveillance and during outbreaks

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update 21 September 2022

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