News

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released its fifth Background Paper as part of the Royal Commission’s work.
Most older Australians are not set up to direct the way they are cared for in the event they become incapable of communicating as a result of accident, dementia, or illness.

Information available to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety shows that even those aged 65-plus years are often ill-prepared, with only 3% having a statutory advance care directive in place.

The directives enable people to express how they want to be cared for, and that decisions and actions taken on their behalf are consistent with their goals, preferences and values, if they become incapable of making those decisions themselves.

Research on the uptake, benefits, issues and practices associated with advance care planning directives, as well as various arrangements in each state and territory, are briefly summarised in a background paper, Advance Care Planning in Australia, released today and available on the Royal Commission’s website.

It says: “Advance care planning has been shown to reduce unnecessary transfers from a residential aged care facility to a hospital and decrease a person’s level of worry and anxiety about their future.

Read more:

Advance Care Planning in Australia (.pdf)

As part of the 2018-19 MYEFO Boosting support for older Australians measure, the Government announced a reduction in basic daily fee, with a greater reduction for those on lower packages.

From 1 July 2019, the maximum basic daily fees for home care will reduce by:

• $400 for level 1
• $200 for level 2
• $100 for level 3

Read more:

Reduction in home care fees from 1 July 2019

Home care fees

Boosting support for older Australians

The recent webinar on key aged care quality reforms being implemented from 1 July 2019 is now available on the department’s website. The webinar included background and live question and answer sessions on the following topics:

• Aged Care Quality Standards
• Clinical Governance Framework
• Open Disclosure Framework
• Single Charter of Aged Care Rights
• Strengthened regulations to minimise the inappropriate use of restraint
• National Quality Indicator Program

Read more:

Now available – Aged Care Quality Reform Webinar

Aged Care Quality Reform Update Live Stream

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

Influenza cases just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, worse than reported figures, researcher says

New Aged Care Regulations Expected To Cause Spike In Non-Compliance

Elderly LGBTQI+ Aged Care Residents Say They’re Being Forced ‘Back Into The Closet’

Certain medication doubles the risk of falls and fractures in elderly

Minimum Wage increase concerns aged care peak body

Collins returns to aged care as Shorten takes on NDIS fight

This webinar will update service providers and the assessment workforce on key aged care quality reforms being implemented from 1 July 2019, including:

• Aged Care Quality Standards
• Clinical Governance Framework
• Open Disclosure Framework
• Single Charter of Aged Care Rights
• Strengthened regulations to minimise the inappropriate use of restraint
• National Quality Indicator Program

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about these topics to representatives from both the Department of Health and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Read more:

Webinar: Aged Care Quality Reform – 6 June 2019

http://livestream.education.gov.au/health/6june2019

The expected outcomes that are the current focus of unannounced assessment contacts and are most frequently not met across the sector are:

• Expected outcome 1.6 Human resource management
• Expected outcome 1.8 Information systems
• Expected outcome 2.4 Clinical care
• Expected outcome 2.7 Medication management
• Expected outcome 2.8 Pain management
• Expected outcome 2.11 Skin care
• Expected outcome 2.13 Behavioural management
• Expected outcome 3.2 Regulatory compliance
• Expected outcome 3.6 Privacy and dignity
• Expected outcome 4.4 Living environment

NOTE: This information is for the period of July 2018 to October 2018 and is current as at 19 November 2018.

As was published recently in the ‘Aged Care Quality Bulletin #5, May 2019’ the Commission recently increased the number of ‘unannounced visits’ made to residential aged care services commencing on the weekend and after-hours to assist with the assessment and monitoring of performance within a 24-hour service delivery environment.

This builds on the Commission’s after-hours and weekends monitoring visits that are already in place as a result of escalated concerns, referrals or identified risks.

The extension of the monitoring program supports assessment and monitoring visits in the early hours of the morning, late in the evening, and across weekends.

To determine the focus of any unannounced assessment contact, the assessment team usually interviews the person in charge of the service and asks a series of questions to identify possible areas of risk. These questions are widely promoted, and available to view on the Commission website.

Read more:

Commission increases unannounced weekend visits

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #5, May 2019

Assessment contacts

The focus of unannounced assessment contacts will be on known areas of risk which may include:

• areas identified from previous assessment activities
• expected outcomes of the standards that are most frequently not met across the sector
• risk based campaigns such as infection control.

The assessment team interviews the person in charge of the service and this includes questions around the key areas of risk that reflect the expected outcomes which are the current focus of unannounced assessment contacts.

Responses to the questions do not need to be exhaustively detailed. However, where necessary, the assessment team may request additional details and documents to verify responses throughout the course of the assessment contact

The response to the questions will inform the scope of the assessment contact.

The following questions will be asked to identify key areas of risk:

1. Have there been any adverse findings by another regulatory agency or oversight body in the last 12 months? (e.g. Healthcare complaints commission or similar, Food safety authority, Workcover etc).
2. What trends do your complaints data show you?
3. How many consumers are receiving pressure area care?
4. Have there been any medication incidents in the past 6 months where a consumer required hospitalisation or attention by a medical officer?
5. How many consumers have had falls and required medical attention in the past 3 months?
6. How many consumers at the service are currently receiving psychotropic medications? (To be captured as a rate or percent of total consumers at the service.) How many consumers are restrained in order to manage risks to themselves or others at the service? (To be captured as a rate or percent of total consumers at the service.)
7. Can you tell me about incidents in the past 6 months where a consumer or staff member has required medical attention as a result of a challenging behaviour from a consumer?

Read more:

Determining the scope of unannounced assessment contacts

Assessment contacts in residential aged care (.pdf)

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is supporting the department with raising awareness and providing education about the new Charter of Aged Care Rights which takes effect from 1 July 2019.

OPAN is delivering a number of educational webinars and events for consumers and service providers.

Read more:

Charter of Aged Care Rights – Information available

Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN)

Influenza activity has been increasing in South Australia over recent weeks, and the number of cases is likely to keep rising as we move further into the influenza season.

Residential care facilities are particularly susceptible to outbreaks of influenza, and the Communicable Disease Control Branch of SA Health has provided information for South Australian residential care services.

This information includes details on how to report any suspected influenza outbreaks to SA Health, where to go for further advice on managing influenza outbreaks, and links to relevant guidelines and resources.

Read more:

Influenza Outbreaks in South Australian Residential Care Services

Letter from SA Health to South Australian residential care facilities