News

Please join our webinar exploring medication safety in residential aged care and transition of care.

• DATE: Wednesday 4 May 2022
• TIME: 10 AM – 12 PM
• Register

Facilitated by Safety Care Victoria’s Manager Older People, Brett Morris, this session will cover medication safety in:

Residential aged care

• Goals and activities of the Strengthening Medication Safety in long-term care initiative that was launched by ISMP Canada to help address the inquiry recommendations
• Enablers of quality improvement in long-term care settings
• Three key findings of the Ontario Long-Term Care Public Inquiry Report.

Transitions of care

• Who is at risk for preventable harm during transitions of care
• Examples of how harm occurs at transitions of care
• Three strategies for improving medication safety at transitions of care.

Read more:

Clinical conversations: Residential aged care and transitions of care

Medication safety: Residential aged care and transitions of care

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new and updated resources.

Read more:

Partnerships in care – Partner fact sheet (.pdf)

Partnerships in care – Provider fact sheet (.pdf)

Partnerships in care – Partner resources (.pdf)

Partnerships in care – Provider toolkit (.pdf)

Do you have a concern or complaint brochure? (.pdf)

A3 poster — What is dignity of risk? (.pdf)

A4 guide — What is dignity of risk? (.pdf)

What is dignity of risk? (video)

In this edition:

• Commissioner’s message
• Quality aged care requires a partnership
• Preparing your aged care service for winter
• Incident management system essential element #3 – Record and report the incident
• NDIS registration renewal for providers supporting NDIS participants
• Enriching life through care – Board chair and CEO roundtables
• Speaker requests can now be submitted online
• New and updated Commission resources

Read more:

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #40 – April 2022

In this edition:

• Recording available – Winter Preparedness Webinar
• New resources – COVID-19 Winter dose program in residential aged care
• REMINDER: Webinar on Upcoming Changes to Provider Reporting on Resident and Workforce COVID-19 Vaccination
• Support for Aged Care Workers in COVID-19 Grant Opportunity
• Victorian Department of Health – Use of Air Scrubbers

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update – 22 April 2022

News about the reforms:

• Updates on AN-ACC funding reform
• Have your say: employment models in aged care
• New Governing for Reform in Aged Care Program

Other news:

• Webinar: Making a difference in dementia care
• Reminder: Have your say on aged care research priorities
• Translating and interpreting services available for aged care providers and care recipients
• Open Arms support services for veterans

For residential care providers:

• DUE 21 April: Submit your next Food and Nutrition report
• Information for providers using Services Australia’s Aged Care Online web services

For home care providers:

• Growing the home care workforce
• Changes to My Aged Care: Pricing information

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #2022/07 (.pdf)

The Prime Minister has announced a 21 May 2022 federal election and as such the Department of Health is operating in accordance with the caretaker conventions.

The emergency leave provision for permanent aged care residents has been extended for an additional 12 months, until 30 June 2023.

Read more:

Emergency leave for aged care residents extended to 30 June 2023

In this edition:

• Editorial
• Case #1: Don’t fall for it: Fall injuries in the older person are serious
• Case #2: Tunnel vision strikes again
• More on the Matter: From up high or down low
• Expert Commentary: The trips and traps of falls

Read more:

Clinical Communiqué Volume 9 Issue 1 March 2022 (.pdf)

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

Read more:

Improving Home Care Pricing Information (.pdf)

Council of Elders communique – 25 March 2022 (.pdf)

COVID-19 Winter dose Information kit for residential aged care providers (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for residential aged care providers – emergency leave (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for permanent aged care residents – emergency leave (.pdf)

RACF volunteer factsheet and statement of agreement (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – Why is my residential aged care employer asking me if I have received a COVID-19 vaccination? (.pdf)

The upcoming winter season is likely to see an increase in respiratory illnesses circulating at the same time, including COVID-19 variants and influenza. To help prepare ahead, the Department is providing practical advice on actions you can do now to ready your service to lessen the risks and impacts of any outbreaks. This will include a series of free webinars (details below).

Readiness activities will position your service to be able to respond quickly in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 or influenza, and any other illness. Key to readiness is making sure you understand the key risk factors to incorporate in your planning and adapting responses to meet your local requirements.

Read more:

Preparing your aged care service for winter-readiness

The Prime Minister has announced a 21 May 2022 federal election and as such the Department of Health is operating in accordance with the caretaker conventions.

All aged care providers are invited to a live, free webinar on Wednesday 27 April 2022 from 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEST on upcoming changes to the mandatory reporting requirements on resident and workforce COVID-19 vaccinations.

The department is making improvements to the reporting template for providers’ weekly reporting on resident and workforce COVID-19 vaccination rates. The changes will better support facilities to report accurately on their resident and worker vaccination status and to capture the winter dose status of aged care residents.

Read more:

Webinar on Upcoming Changes to Provider Reporting on Resident and Workforce COVID-19 Vaccination