News

You can now view the 2020-21 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 (ROACA) on the GEN Aged Care Data website.

Each year this report provides an important overview of Australia’s aged care system and details its operation over the previous financial year. This year’s ROACA also includes detail about the challenges faced by senior Australians and the aged care sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the critical interventions made by government to respond to those challenges.

Read more:

Aged Care Alert: 2020-21 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997

2020–21 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 (.pdf)

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

Read more:

2020–21 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – Consent guidance material for residential aged care (.pdf)

Aged care funding reforms webinar

Guide to Combining Aged Care Services (.pdf)

Notice to Transfer Aged Care Places to Another Provider (.pdf)

Managing home care through COVID-19

Aged care funding instrument (ACFI) monitoring report – June 2021 (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – Guidance for in-home and community aged care providers on reporting workforce COVID-19 vaccinations (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – Guidance for residential aged care providers on reporting resident and workforce COVID-19 vaccinations (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccination – Proof of employment letter for in-home and community aged care workers (.pdf)

How in-home and community aged care workers can provide your COVID-19 vaccination status to your employer (.pdf)

Australian Government response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport report (.pdf)

COVID-19 vaccine booster rollout in residential aged care (video)

Information kit to support COVID-19 vaccination of in-home and community aged care workers (.pdf)

Understanding fees for aged care homes (.pdf)

Understanding fees for residential respite care (.pdf)

Understanding fees for home care (.pdf)

The safety and well-being of aged care residents and staff remains a priority, as the Australian Government continues to work with states and territories and the aged care sector to transition to living with COVID 19.

To assist with the COVID-19 emergency, the Government is encouraging residential aged care providers who have capacity to admit people being discharged from hospital where possible.

The Government is working with states and territories to ensure their public hospital systems are equipped to deal with any increase in hospitalisations as COVID-19 restrictions are eased in coming months.

As part of this it will be important that older Australians in hospital who will need ongoing residential care when they are discharged, are able to access care in a timely manner.

Read more:

Residential aged care admissions during COVID 19

In this edition:

• Hospital Discharge and Provision of Commonwealth Home Support to COVID Patients
• FREE 1-2-1 Sessions with an Emergency/Crisis Management Practitioner
• SA Health – updated flowchart for COVID Management in SA RACFs
• Webinars: My Aged Care Reporting and Home Care and CHSP Vaccination
• My Aged Care Reporting – Virtual Tour of Vaccination Reporting
• #ProudToProtect – Home Care and CHSP Worker Vaccination
• REMINDER: WA and TAS webinars for In-home and Community Aged Care Workers
• Western Australia – Tuesday 30 November
• Tasmania – Wednesday 1 December

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update – 29 November 2021

Published by: Victor Harcourt, Anita Courtney, Johanna Heaven, Matthew Goessler, Julia Bell

How are Tribunals likely to view restricting access to wanted items?

Various Tribunals have interpreted the meaning of “environmental restraint” in cases before them, dealing with the NDIS regime. In the case of BYC [2020] NSWCATGD 69 (30 November 2020) the front gate of the property where the care recipient lived was locked overnight. Although BYC did not object to the gate being locked overnight, it still constituted an environmental restraint as his freedom of movement was restricted.

In the case of KKD [2019] NSWCATGD 4 (21 January 2019) the Tribunal found that the care recipient’s restricted access to the kitchen refrigerator to prevent excessive consumption of food and drinks was an environmental restraint. Locking doors and gates to prevent the care recipient from leaving to engage in food seeking behaviours was also found to be an environmental restraint.

Read more:

Environmental restraint: How Tribunals are likely to view restrictions to wanted items

The Morrison Government welcomes the release of the Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act (1997) – a vital overview of Australia’s age care system.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, and the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the report offered important insight into the sector’s operations during the 2020-21 financial year.

Importantly, it details the challenges faced by senior Australians and the aged care sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the critical interventions made by Government as it responded to those challenges.

It includes an overview of systems and resources, service provision from community care through to permanent residential care, services delivered to people with diverse needs, and the provision of regulatory and prudential frameworks to ensure consumers receive high quality services.

Read more:

Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act

News about the reforms:

• Have your say: Developing aged care quality measures and Star Ratings
• Get involved: Providers invited to trial quality measures
• Have your say: New residential aged care design standards
• Webinar: Aged care funding reform, 1 December 2021

Other news:

• Resources to help manage, re-engage and recruit volunteers
• Webinar: Employment of care and support workforce
• LGBTI aged care awareness training
• Aged Care Workforce Industry Council releases workforce insights

For residential care providers:

• Reminder: Buying or selling a service can impact resident fees

For home care providers:

• Improved Payment Arrangements: Home care claim tips

Read more:

Information for the Aged Care Sector – Issue 2021/22 (.pdf)

In this edition:

• WA and TAS webinars for in-home and community aged care workers
• Online NOW: QLD and SA webinars on mandatory vaccination for in-home and community aged care workers
• How workers can get vaccinated
• Booster vaccinations

Read more:

Vaccination update for In-home and Community Aged Care Workers 25 November 2021

Seventeen prominent Australians will provide expert advice on aged care issues and the implementation of the Morrison Government’s $17.7 billion reform agenda in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Led by inaugural chair Andrea Coote, the National Aged Care Advisory Council will ensure aged care reforms meet the needs and expectations of senior Australians, their families and carers and the Australian community.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the Advisory Council formed part of the Australian Government’s comprehensive response to the Royal Commission.

“This is the most significant reform ever undertaken by an Australian Government to improve the care of senior Australians both in residential care and care at home,” Minister Hunt said.

“This Advisory Council will play a key role in guiding that implementation, alongside a new Council of Elders and an Inspector-General of Aged Care.

Read more:

New National Aged Care Advisory Council established

Dear Approved Provider

Thank you for the leadership demonstrated throughout 2021 in supporting consumers and staff at your services to be vaccinated against COVID-19. As restrictions ease and jurisdictions increasingly open up, the risk of community transmission – and therefore transmission in aged care settings – remains.

On 8 November 2021, the Australian Government’s national rollout of the COVID-19 booster program in residential aged care began. All residential aged care service will be offered a booster clinic as part of the Commonwealth vaccination program. Information about the booster clinics has been provided to you by Dr James Hart from the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce (refer attached copy of correspondence).

Noting the strong international evidence in favour of a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) strongly supports booster vaccination as an important step in ensuring a high level of protection against the worst effects of COVID-19 among consumers and staff.

The in-reach booster clinic to be made available to your residential service(s) will offer a booster dose to all residents and workers who received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago. Equally importantly, the clinic will also offer first or second doses for residents or workers who have not yet received this, and a third dose for anyone medically assessed as being severely immunocompromised.

Read more:

Commissioner to approved providers COVID-19 booster vaccine advice – 19 November 2021 (.pdf)