News

The Prime Minister’s announcement following the first National Cabinet on Coronavirus.

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15 Mar 2020 – Transcript – Press Conference

The In Home and Community Aged Care COVID-10 Preparedness Webinar, held on Friday 13 March 2020, is now available for on demand viewing.

The webinar addressed the role and capacity of home care providers, Community Home Support Programme providers and the assessment workforce as part of the national response to COVID-19.

In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 at Dorothy Henderson Lodge, Macquarie Park in Sydney, NSW, BaptistCare held a Q&A session on 9 March 2020 with NSW Health experts, including Dr James Branley, Head of Infectious Diseases, Nepean Hospital. Dr Branley was part of the Wuhan response team and was also one of the expert panellists in the webinar held on 13 March 2020.

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New resources on aged care COVID-19 preparedness

Watch:

In Home and Community Aged Care COVID-19 Preparedness Webinar

BaptistCare & NSW Health – Q&A to control the spread of COVID-19

In this issue:

• Changes to the My Aged Care authentication service – take action now
• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s monthly newsletter
• Resources on diverse population groups are now available for aged care staff

Home Care:

• Home Care Packages Program Manuals now available
• Improvements to Payment Arrangements for Home Care Packages

Residential Care:

• Update on the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) Trial

Commonwealth Home Support Programme:

• Rollover of 2019-20 CHSP Growth Funding

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Information for the Aged Care Sector – Issue 2020/04 (.pdf)

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has taken the precautionary step of not permitting the public to attend hearings and workshops until further notice due to the risk to public health from the coronavirus (COVID-19). The proceedings of the Royal Commission will continue to be public through the live webcast available from the Commission’s website.

The Royal Commissioners want to ensure robust measures are in place to protect the public, particularly frail older people, who may be at risk of contracting the virus at public events like hearings.

These measures also ensure that the work of the Royal Commission can proceed as it completes its program of public hearings and workshops and develops recommendations to be published in its final report due for completion in November 2020.

Accredited members of the media will continue to have access to attend public hearings and workshops in the course of their work.

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Public access to Royal Commission hearings and workshops

The Communicable Diseases Network of Australia (CDNA) have released National Guidelines for the Prevention, Control and Public Health Management of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities in Australia.

The guidelines provides best practice information for the prevention and management of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreaks in aged care homes. Providers are encouraged to use these guidelines in conjunction with existing practices.

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Coronavirus (COVID–19) CDNA Guidelines

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines for outbreaks in residential care facilities (.pdf)

This letter is from the Chief Medical Officer to aged care providers. It’s on the COVID-19 outbreak and outlines the Australian Government’s current and future support for the central role aged care providers play in our national response.

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Letter from the Chief Medical Officer regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Letter to Aged Care Providers from the Chief Medical Officer (.pdf)

The Royal Commission will hold a public hearing in Adelaide from Monday 30 March 2020 to Wednesday 01 April 2020.

Adelaide Hearing 5 will inquire into how mental health, oral health and allied health care could be improved for people accessing aged care services, including through:

• increased funding and/or alternative funding models
• incentives for health care professionals to provide services at an individual’s place of residence
• increased training for aged care workers
• clarifying responsibilities of approved providers and implementing performance measures or performance indicators.

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Adelaide Hearing 5

This information sheet includes:

• can staff go to work?
• what should I tell my staff?
• what precautions should I take when cleaning?
• can food and water spread coronavirus?
• how can we help prevent the spread of coronavirus?
• more information?

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Information for health care and residential care workers Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – what you need to know (.pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) isolation guidance (.pdf)

Resources for health professionals, including pathology providers and healthcare managers

A fact sheet about the Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This fact sheet is about funding for a range of measures to support senior Australians in aged care and home care.

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COVID-19 National Health Plan – Aged Care – Aged Care Preparedness (.pdf)

The World Health Organisation today declared COVID-19 a pandemic. With cases rising in Australia, particularly from community transmission, COVID-19 will present significant ongoing challenges to the aged care industry for months to come. Aged care providers who fail to adequately manage the risk may face legal and/or regulatory action, and risk long-term reputational damage in a highly-charged socio-political climate.

With the ongoing backdrop of the Aged Care Royal Commission, aged care providers operating within a strict regulatory framework are faced with a unique and novel challenge in this public health crisis. That is, how to effectively balance regulatory obligations with their duty of care to residents – all of whom are most vulnerable to the virus. Times are uncertain and responses unpredictable – so far we have seen ‘panic-buying’ leading to individual supply shortages, and a whole country go into lockdown. Such contingencies will have significant impact on the aged care sector, and it is now time to start planning.

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Aged care and the COVID-19 pandemic: 10 legal tips for residential aged care providers