News

News about the reforms:

• New Aged care reform: guide for providers booklet available
• Financial and Prudential reforms: an update from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner

Sector news:

• Consultation: Pricing Framework for Australian Residential Aged Care Services 2024–25
• Governing for Reform in Aged Care: platinum learners’ recommendations
• Webinar recording: greater transparency about aged care providers and services – new reporting requirements
• Commission webinar: cyber security in aged care
• Webinar series: hiring outside the box

For residential care providers:

• Reminder: Quality indicator reporting due 21 July
• Star Ratings: Provider preview now available
• Star Ratings: Residents’ Experience rating now updating quarterly
• OPAN #readytolisten

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #27 (.pdf)

Updated Schedules

Updated Schedules for residential and home care will apply from 1 July 2023.

View the updated Schedules of fees and charges for care recipients who started care:

• on or after 1 July 2014
• before 1 July 2014.

Quarterly review

Services Australia’s quarterly review of residential and home care fees will take effect from 1 July 2023, updating care recipients’ fees to align with any changes in their financial circumstances.

The quarterly review for residential and home care will take place on 15 July 2023.

Read more:

July 2023 indexation: Updated Schedules, quarterly review and change to Maximum Permissible Interest Rate

The Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Aged Care, Professor Paul Kelly together with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, Janet Anderson, have issued a joint letter to aged care providers on the importance of the 2023 COVID-19 booster dose.

With just over half of eligible aged care residents having received a booster dose, they are seeking your support in ensuring all eligible aged care residents receive a booster dose and continue to protect residents from serious illness or hospitalisation from COVID-19.

Read more:

Letter to aged care providers on COVID-19 booster dose vaccination (.pdf)

From July 2023, the Building Legislation Amendment (Building Classes) Regulation 2023 (Regulation) commenced in response to the NSW Government addressing safety in construction.

The Regulation has amended:

• the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (DBP)
• the Residential Apartment Building (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 (RAB)

The Regulation also extends the classes prescribed under the definition of building work to building work involved with; or involved in, co-ordinating or supervising work in the construction of a class 3 or 9c building.

Read more:

Revised Building Regulations are now effective for Aged Care and Accommodation Related Properties

News about the reforms:

• Webinar: Q&As on aged care wage increase

Sector news:

• Provider Governance: new resources available
• Commission webinar: Stronger Standards, Better Aged Care Program
• Webinar: Voluntary assisted dying – what you need to know
• National Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program

For residential care providers:

• Reminder: Quality indicator reporting via GPMS due 21 July
• Emergency leave for aged care residents extended to 31 December 2023

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #2023/26 (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Updated Sector Code for Visiting in Aged Care Homes
• Changes to Paxlovid oral antiviral eligibility
• COVID-19 Infection Control Online Training for Aged Care Workers
• Top 3 Questions from aged care COVID-19 Webinar on 26 June 2023
• Pfizer original COVID-19 vaccines no longer available in Australia

Read more:

Protecting Older Australians: COVID-19 Update – 5 July 2023

News about the reforms:

• New reporting requirements for residential and approved home care providers using GPMS
• Consultation on new model for regulating aged care now closed
• Preparing for the 24/7 registered nurse responsibility

Sector news:

• Webinar: Digital Transformation Tech Talk
• eNRMC Adoption Grant Round 2 now open
• Aged Care Provider Workforce Survey: Closing date extended
• Better connected care through My Health Record

For home care providers:

• HCP providers: Price caps to care and package management increasing with indexation
• CHSP providers: Complete wellness and reablement reporting by 31 July
• CHSP providers: 2023-24 Manual now available
• New changes to the Home Care Workforce Support Program

For residential care providers:

• Hotelling supplement for residential aged care

Read more:

Your Aged Care Update newsletter – Issue #2023/25 (.pdf)

The RACGP has released its first ever GP standards for residential aged care facilities (RACFs), describing them as a ‘timely response’ to the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

According to the college, the new standards aim ‘to address the many challenges GPs face when delivering care in RACFs’.

‘The Standards … do not seek to replace existing requirements for accreditation against the Aged Care Quality Standards as set by the Department of Health,’ the authors wrote.

‘They are voluntary and highlight the inextricable link between the GP and the RACF, and demonstrate how the GP and broader RACF care team are connected to RACF systems and its infrastructure.’

Read more:

GP aged care standards launched for the first time

Standards for general practice residential aged care – 1st edition (.pdf)

The ability to offer and charge for Additional Services has been available since 1997 with the commencement of the Aged Care Act. However, it was not until 2014 that the regulators accepted Additional Services as a way of increasing the choice available to all residents, in preference to the more exclusive Extra Services available to the wealthier few.

Additional Services programs have become more popular and prevalent. The legal framework for these programs has been reasonably well settled for a while now, with some variations depending upon the approach of the regulators from time to time. It is pleasing to see that the Australian Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (Commission) has now summarised its position on the legal framework in a Regulatory Bulletin released on 9 June 2023.

Read more:

Additional Services in Residential Aged Care: What you need to know

RB 2023-20 Additional fees in residential aged care (.pdf)

In this edition:

• Commissioner’s message
• Our reports
• Aged care reforms update
• Food, nutrition and dining
• Clinical update
• Webinars
• Governing for reform
• Training and resources

Read more:

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #54 – June 2023