News

Depending on the particular circumstances, options for separating COVID-positive resident/s from other residents can include offsite or onsite cohorting.

Offsite cohorting involves relocating one or a group of residents to another care setting. Onsite cohorting involves immediately isolating a COVID-positive resident, preferably in a single room with their own ensuite facilities.

If this is not possible at your service, then there are medical grounds to move residents within your facility to control the spread of the virus.

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Cohorting FAQs

The Morrison Government will scale up aged care support programs in Victoria and across Australia with an additional $171.5 million to boost a new COVID-19 response plan agreed by all states and territories at National Cabinet today.

The package is in addition to age care support already announced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with funding now totalling more than $1 billion from the Commonwealth Government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said more funding would be used to continue current programs for infection control training and surge workforce staff, alongside greater compliance by the Aged Care Commissioner and coordinated response centres.

“Our plan for combatting the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is based on the best medical advice and continues to evolve, as the crisis continues, as we do all we can to protect older Australians,” the Prime Minister said.

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Reinforcement of Australia’s aged care sector

In this edition:

• Support for managing COVID-19 related costs
• Information on CHSP support available for residents moving out of a RACF during COVID-19
• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission statement on regulatory actions to support Victorian aged care homes during COVID-19Workforce retention bonus second payment

Resources:

• Video message to all aged care staff from the Commissioner for Senior Victorians
• A fact sheet from the Victorian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) COVID-19 Disposing clinical waste to assist providers in the identification, management and disposal of clinical waste in Victoria

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COVID-19 Update – 21 August 2020

Published by: Donna Rayner, Rosemary Southgate, John Corcoran, Kathryn Elleman, Lillian Graystone, Rohan Harris, Sylvia Mansour, Lee Be

The State Government has worked with the retirement living industry to prepare a set of guidelines to assist retirement living operators in managing the challenges associated with operating a village during the current lockdown.

The guidelines will assist operators in complying with the directions issued by the Victorian Chief Health Officer.

We encourage operators to read the guidelines in detail as they are a useful reference to ensure that your village is compliant and to assist in managing the expectations of residents, staff, contractors and visitors to your villages.

Read more:

Living with COVID-19 – Guidelines for retirement village operators

Retirement village and assisted living guidelines (.docx)

In this issue:

Residential Care:

• Survey on food and nutrition in aged care homes
• Emergency Leave Provision

Flexible Care:

• Aged Care Provider Portal update

Read more:

Information for the Aged Care Sector – Issue 2020/18 (.pdf)

Grant opportunities are available to help aged care providers manage the financial impact of COVID-19:

• COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program (ACSP) – GO3844
• Support for Aged Care Workers in COVID-19 (SACWIC) – GO4215

The ACSP will reimburse aged care providers who are directly impacted by COVID-19. A directly impacted service has:

• one or more COVID-19 infected or isolated residents, clients, or staff
• incurred expenses between 24 February 2020 and 31 May 2021 as a result of a COVID infection.

SACWIC will provide funding to eligible aged care providers for additional costs as a result of supporting eligible workers during the COVID 19 pandemic. This grant is initially limited to the COVID-19 hotspots of Greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, but may be extended to other areas if needed.

Services may be able to apply for both grants, if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Read more:

Support for managing COVID-19 related costs

Financial support for aged care providers directly impacted by COVID-19

In this edition:

• Communication when a resident tests positive for COVID-19
• Operational update – Victorian Aged Care Response Centre
• SA health directions for workers
• Dementia behaviour support during COVID-19
• Dementia training

Resources:

• VACRC – Key contacts for families

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COVID-19 Update – 19 August 2020

The high number of COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care homes in Victoria has reinforced the need for everyone working in the aged care sector to be alert and work collaboratively in responding to individual outbreaks.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission remains strongly engaged with aged care services experiencing an outbreak, exercising all our powers as the aged care regulator to minimise the risk to consumers and staff. As we monitor and support these services, the Commission is working closely with the Commonwealth Department of Health, the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre and Victorian health authorities.

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Statement from Ms Janet Anderson PSM – Regulatory actions to support Victorian aged care homes during COVID-19 (.pdf)

The Australian Government will provide an additional $31.9 million to create 15 mental health clinics across Victoria and further enhance essential support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian Government recognises the ongoing Victorian restrictions needed to stop the spread of the virus are having a significant impact on the mental health of individuals and communities in Victoria.

$26.9 million of the new funding will establish 15 dedicated mental health clinics across Victoria, with nine clinics in Greater Melbourne and six in regional Victoria.

The clinics will be located at existing GP clinics, headspace centres or other community sites where people usually access general health care. A list of these locations will be announced within the coming weeks.

The clinics will support GPs by providing access to multidisciplinary teams of mental health workers, including psychologists, mental health nurses, social workers, and alcohol and drug workers.

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NEW MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS TO SUPPORT VICTORIANS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Emergency Management (Residential Aged Care Facilities No 7) (COVID-19) Direction 2020 is now in effect.

The Direction outlines restrictions which impact a resident’s ability to leave residential aged care facilities, along with visitation rights to these facilities.

Read more:

Residential Aged Care Facilities No 7 (COVID-19) Direction (.pdf)

FAQ – Residential Aged Care Facilities (.pdf)