News

The Department of Health & Human Services and Australian Centre for Evidence Based care (ACEBAC), has developed evidence-based standardised care processes (SCPs) in important areas of resident care.

The processes were developed as part of the Strengthening Care Outcomes for Residents with Evidence initiative (SCORE).

The processes help Victorian public sector residential aged care services to provide high-quality care for residents, by reducing variability and managing clinical risk.

There are 19 SCPs for priority risk areas of resident care:

• antimicrobial stewardship
• choking
• constipation
• dehydration
• delirium
• depression
• end of life care
• falls
• hypoglycaemia
• infection control
• oral and dental hygiene
• polypharmacy
• pain
• physical restraint
• pressure injuries
• responsive behaviours
• skin tears
• sleep
• unplanned weight loss.

Read more:

Standardised care processes

Community forums are another way that members of the public can engage with the Commission. Forums are taking place in a number of locations around the country.

The forums are an opportunity for members of the public to hear about the work of the Commission and to offer their ideas on the challenges and strengths of aged care. This will also be a chance for anyone to propose ideas for improvement.

Adelaide Community Forum – Monday 12 August 2019

• Location: Adelaide Town Hall, Auditorium, 128 King William Street, Adelaide SA 5000
• Date: Monday, 12 August 2019
• Time: 1:30pm to 4:00pm

Brisbane Community Forum – Monday 19 August 2019

• Location: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Cnr Merivale & Glenelg Streets, South Brisbane, QLD 4101
• Date: Monday, 19 August 2019
• Time: 9:30am to midday

Rockhampton Community Forum – Tuesday 20 August 2019

• Location: Callaghan Park Functions and Events Centre, Reaney Street, Rockhampton, QLD 4701
• Date: Tuesday, 20 August 2019
• Time: 9:30am to midday

Read more:

Community Forums

The new Standards have commenced and we are 1 month in.

We will do our best to keep everyone informed of what we learn as new information is made available.

If you go through a visit from the Commission or your Accreditation, then please let us know, and we can share what you learn with all our Manad Plus users.

A few early items that are being reported from those that have gone through a vist are noted below:

• Make sure you have captured and documented clearly all your resident’s preferences and choices.
• Residents will be interviewed and surveyed by the Commission, the responses they receive will then lead to further questions. The resdients responses will then be followed-up by checking you have documented these responses.
• A few of the key items may be on, diet preferences, sleep preferences, continence management preferences, cultural diversity preferences, and understanding your resident’s wishes.
• Do you have documented and know who is to be involved in care choices for the resident?
• Do all your staff know the new standards as they will be interviewed and asked questions on your homes knowledge?
• Make sure you are no longer transitioning and the new Standards are in place.
• The Commission will check Staff Ratios & Rostering, Position Descriptions, your audits of ratios/staff to ensure the correct staffing mix to be working for your residents care needs.
• The Commission will chcek your Continious Improvement Plan (NOTE: You can show this in Manad Plus, make sure it is up to date and detailed)
• Do you have all your Nurse Registration details for each staff member?
• Do you have an up to date version control on all documents to ensure they have been updated and changed to meet 1 July?
• Have you documented what training has been provided and undertaken regarding the new standards for all staff?
• Do you have a thorough Staff Induction program and does this include training on Manad Plus?
• Do you have evidence that you can demonstrate and identify residents on antibiotics and it has been reviewed?
• Psychotropic medications – Do you have signed consent to show?
• Are you displaying the new Charter of Aged Care Rights and how have families and residents been informed of this?

If any of our users need any assistance with Manad Plus, then please contact your dedicated Client Manager for support or via the Help Desk, 1300 62 62 32 or support@manad.com.au

The following aged care sector performance information includes statistics about these types of services: residential aged care; home services; and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program.

The performance information includes data from the Commission’s aged care quality regulatory and complaints functions.

Read more:

Sector Performance Data – 1 January to 31 March 2019 (.pdf)

Aged Care Employee Day is an official day to thank, honour, recognise and celebrate the hundreds of thousands of people who work in the aged care industry across Australia.

On August 7th, reach out to those who you know that work in this valuable industry and help recognise the incredible contribution they make to the lives of older Australians.

Read more:

Aged Care Employee Day

In Case You Missed It – Below are links to recent articles on Aged Care and Healthcare that may be of interest:

Furious family lash out over elderly mum’s treatment during Earle Haven crisis

Inquiry to look into unexpected closure of facility

Aged care residents turned into ‘zombies’ on antipsychotics for more than 200 days at a time

Aged care worker reveals brutal reality of the job in viral post

Nursing home patient found dead in neighbour’s pool, sparking investigation

What happens when aged care operators go broke

‘We are damning ourselves’: Big problem with the way Australia treats its elderly population

Schoolboy, aged 10, vows to keep visiting 90-year-old veteran in care home

Device shows promise for preventing pressure sores

Elderly woman slapped in Goulburn aged care facility, man arrested

Antipsychotics overused in residential aged care: Study

Aged care residents returning from hospital suffer unnecessary complications

Your rights and Refundable Accommodation Deposits

Call to fix access to aged care respite

Carer of dementia sufferer had no support

A business case for ‘going up the country’: 2019 ACAR

‘How did this happen?’: Owners speak after shock nursing home closure

No aged care respite available ‘unless someone dies’

Aged Care Royal Commission: Mildura right fit for aged care royal commission

Coroner To Investigate Death At Queensland’s Newest Nursing Home

Aged Care Royal Commission: Fears for future deepening, aged care royal commission hears

Aged care royal commission hears of ‘fatal flaw’ in Australia’s aged care system

ROYAL COMMISSION: Carers know best

ROYAL COMMISSION: Carers have no support

Mum could have been saved: aged inquiry

Migrants, refugees encouraged to ‘tell their stories’ to Aged Care Royal Commission

Aged care facilities still fully accredited by quality and safety commission failing to meet standards in SA

Funding available to upskill aged care staff

Qld aged care boss ‘a bully, drunk on job’

Maggie Beer’s fight for better food in aged care homes

‘If it’s not a criminal charge, it should be’: Calls for aged-care subcontracting probe

Royal commission probes aged home closure

Strategies to reduce potentially avoidable hospitalisations among long-term care facility residents

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has released its latest background paper on Australia’s current aged care system.

Background Paper 7: Legislative Framework for Aged Care Quality and Safety Regulation, summarises the key aspects and complexities of the current regulation of quality and safety in aged care.

The paper addresses a number of issues including:

• approval of providers, making them eligible to receive government subsidies and supplements to provide aged care
• the responsibilities of approved providers, including those in relation to quality of care, user rights and accountability
• accreditation and quality review processes
• enforcement and sanctions
• complaints processes
• advocacy and community visitors.

“Aged care quality and safety regulation is intended to protect and enhance the health and wellbeing of care recipients,” the paper states.

Read more:

Background Paper 7 – Legislative framework for Aged Care Quality and Safety regulation (.pdf)

In this issue:

• Accounting and Business Advisory Services commencing soon
• Future of Ageing Awards 2019

Home Care:

• Reminder to complete home care pricing information
• Home care and the Australian Consumer Law

Residential Care:

• ACFI review records requirement
• Residential Aged Care Funding Reform update
• MDFA SURVEY – Help evaluate the impact of digital training tools for Residential Aged Care Facilities

Read more:

Information for the Aged Care Sector – Issue 2019/10 (.pdf)

The latest insights from our award-winning Aged Care legal team.

In this edition:

• Update: Labour Hire Licensing July 2019
• Respite care access on the rise and residential care admissions down
• Timeframes for implementing the new Charter of Aged Care Rights
• Minimising physical and chemical restraint in residential aged care
• Additional Services and My Aged Care: some much needed clarity?

Read more:

Aged Care Bulletin 1 August 2019

The Royal Commission held a public hearing in Mildura from Monday 29 July 2019 to Wednesday 31 July 2019.

The public hearing looked at the needs of family, informal and unpaid carers for older Australians, with a focus on:

• the extent to which current arrangements meet those needs
• how services and supports for carers could be improved
• respite care

Read more:

29 July 2019 – Transcript (.pdf)

30 July 2019 – Transcript (.pdf)

31 July 2019 – Transcript (.pdf)