News

Fewer aged care residents will have the expense and inconvenience of having to go to hospital for x-rays under changes to Medicare.

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said, “For the first time, from 1 November 2019 a Medicare rebate will be available as a call-out fee for the provision of mobile skeletal x-ray services conducted at a residential aged care facility.”

“These services include x-rays of the shoulder, pelvis, ribs and sternum; chest x-rays for suspected pneumonia or heart failure; and abdominal x-rays for acute abdomen or bowel obstruction.”

Mobile Medicare x-ray services were recommended by the independent expert Medical Services Advisory Committee.

Read more:

New Medicare support for older Australians

Successive Australian governments have shown a lack of willingness to commit to change or to adopt recommendations from a multitude of reviews and inquiries into aged care over more than 20 years, according to the latest background paper produced for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Background Paper 8: A History of Aged Care Reviews, provides an overview of 18 major public reports and inquiries related to publicly-funded aged care in Australia since 1997, and looks at government responses to each of these.

“Responses often come years after the review and recount what has been done in an almost tangential way,” the paper says.

“Changes committed to are often slow to eventuate, or fall away prior to implementation.”

Read more:

Background Paper 8 – A History of Aged Care Reviews (.pdf)

Home Care:

• Aged Care Financing Authority (ACFA) project on improving home care payment arrangements – consultation period now open
• Home Care recipients moving into residential care

Residential Care:

• National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program – introduction of 2 new quality indicators

All providers:

• Accessing sensitive information on My Aged Care

Read more:

Information for the Aged Care Sector – Issue 2019/16 (.pdf)

2 Hearings are currently upcoming:

Mudgee Hearing – Provision of aged care in regional areas

• Date: 4 – 6 November 2019
• Location: TBC
• Time: 9:30am local time

At this public hearing, the Royal Commission will inquire into the provision of aged care in regional and remote areas, with a focus on:

• the perspective and experience of people who access or are involved in aged care in regional and remote areas
• challenges associated with delivering aged care in regional and remote areas
• models for and approaches to delivering aged care in regional and remote areas, including Multi-Purpose Services.

Hobart Hearing – Aged care operations of selected Approved Providers

The Hobart Hearing will inquire into the operations of selected Approved Providers that operate residential aged care facilities in Tasmania and elsewhere in Australia.

• Date: 11 – 15 November 2019
• Location: TBC
• Time: 9:30am local time

Read more:

Hearings

In this edition:

• Commissioner’s message
• Getting to know the Standards – Standard 2, Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers
• Scenarios involving physical and/or chemical restraint
• MOU means better protection for older Australians receiving aged care
• Early findings against the Quality Standards
• Directions issued now on our website
• Webinar on accountabilities of governing bodies in aged care
• Website updates
• Sector news

Read more:

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #9, Sept 2019

Residential aged care providers should now have collected quality indicator data for each of the three quality indicators for July, August, and September 2019.

The first quarter QI Program data must be submitted to the department no later than 21 October 2019.

Check the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program Manual 1.0 (the Manual) to make sure that you have met the mandatory requirements.

The Manual includes:

• definitions for each quality indicator
• instructions for collecting and submitting quality indicator data.

Read more:

National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) – First quarter data submission

National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program Manual 1.0 (.pdf)

Residential and home care service providers can now apply for free independent business advisory services to help them review their operations and provide advice on business management and financial strategies.

Two tiers of services will be available, both targeting the identification of strategies to help improve the provider’s business management and operations:

• Tier 1 services will be delivered through a desktop review;
• Tier 2 services will be delivered by both desktop review and time spent on site at the provider’s premises.

Read more:

Accounting and Business Advisory Services now available

Business advisory services for aged care providers

The department is currently trialling reablement based assessment in several aged care planning regions under the Promoting Independent Living Budget Measure (the Measure). This trial has implications for CHSP service providers in the trial regions, and will deliver training materials for use by all CHSP providers. A factsheet outlining how CHSP providers are impacted is available on the department’s website.

Read more:

Promoting Independent Living – Information for CHSP Providers

Promoting Independent Living Budget measure: Impact for CHSP Providers

At its hearing in Melbourne, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety marked the passing of the Honourable Richard Tracey AM RFD QC. Commissioner Tracey died on Friday, 11 October, after a short illness. He was 71.

Commissioner Tracey was appointed Chair of the Royal Commission on 6 December 2018. He was a judge of the Federal Court of Australia from 2006 until 2018, having been appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991. He served in the Australian Army from 1975 until 2014, achieving the rank of Major-General. He was Judge Advocate General of the Australian Defence Force from 2007 until 2014, and President of the Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal from 2009 until 2018.

Commissioner Lynelle Briggs AO said that “[Commissioner Tracey] was experienced. He was wise. He was admired. He knew the law like the back of his hand. He was prepared to take a punt if it meant getting a better outcome for older Australians.”

Read more:

The Honourable Richard Tracey AM RFD QC

The consultation period for ACFA’s project looking at the financial impact of improving home care payments arrangements is now open. In forming its advice to Government, ACFA is seeking written submissions responding to its consultation paper by 12 November 2019.

Read more:

The Aged Care Financing Authority (ACFA) project on improving home care payment arrangements – consultation period now open