News

Media Release: 03 May 2018

The Turnbull Government is delivering on its commitment to address the challenges remote aged care providers face as they deliver safe, high-quality care for ageing Australians, with a special meeting held to examine remote aged care services.

The Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt AM, said the meeting with representatives from remote and very remote aged care providers was a direct result of national consultations by the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce.

“We need a population health approach, one that thinks outside the square and shapes what we need for future years, to build on the existing workforce”

“We are determined to meet this challenge, to deliver the best possible aged care for senior Australians, whether they live in our cities, regional centres or very remote communities.”

Read more:

Supporting Our Aged Care Workforce in Remote Locations (.pdf)

Older aged care homes may have faulty circuit breakers installed. Electrical company Eaton has issued a recall notice.

We encourage organisations to review current circuit breakers and take appropriate action where required.

Read more:

Risk of faulty circuit breakers in aged care facilities

Recall notice

From 1 May 2018, legislation requires Australian Government-subsidised residential aged care providers to offer the flu vaccine to staff and volunteers.

Vaccination is vital for staff and volunteers in aged care, where the flu can spread quickly and have devastating results for residents.

Read more:

Flu vaccination program now mandatory

The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency has released a new issue of their ‘Quality Standard’ newsletter.

In this issue…

• Message from the CEO
• Have your say on the Draft Standards Guidance
• Information sessions on unannounced re-accreditation audits
• Qassist: Free compliance assistance education
• Update: consumer reports – home and community care
• Survey Results: Infection Control Report now online

Read more:

Quality Standard – April 2018 (.pdf)

Australian Aged Care Quality Agency

The new ‘notification of a material change’ form is now available online. This form should be used by approved providers to notify the department about:

• Any situation that materially affects your organisation’s suitability to be an approved provider. A material change is one that is substantial or considerable in nature.
• Any changes to the approved provider’s authorised contact details. The approved provider’s authorised contact is the person that the department can contact and is authorised to act on behalf of your organisation.

You are required to notify the department within 28 days after the change occurs.

Read more:

New form to update your material and operational changes

Notifying material changes for approved providers

Notification of a Material Change form

In this issue:

• New My Aged Care videos
• Palliative care – new online resource

Read more:

Information for Aged Care Providers – Issue 2018/7 (.pdf)

Media Release: 22 April 2018

The provision of influenza vaccination programs to all staff in residential aged care homes will be compulsory, as the Turnbull Government moves to maximise protection for senior Australians ahead of this year’s this flu season.

Health Minister Greg Hunt and Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt announced the Government will mandate flu vaccines for aged care workers and today released results of a survey showing a significant link between increased staff immunisation and lower aged care influenza outbreaks.

“It will now be mandatory for every aged care provider to offer the flu vaccine to every single worker”, Minister Hunt said.

Read more:

Mandatory vaccine programs to curb aged care influenza (.pdf)

On 5 March 2018, the Australian Government announced an additional $85.6 million in funding over four years for the introduction of new services for carers.

This will provide carers with access to new early intervention supports and services to improve carers’ well-being and long-term outcomes.

Read more:

Integrated Carer Support Service

The Minister for Aged Care, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, has announced that a new independent Aged Care Safety and Quality Commission will be set-up to oversee the approval, accreditation, assessment, monitoring, complaints handling and compliance of approved providers.

The new Commission will bring together the functions of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency, Aged Care Complaints Commissioner and aged care regulatory functions of the Department of Health. This is in response to the recommendations of the Carnell-Paterson review of failures at South Australia’s Oakden Older Person’s Mental Health Service.

Read more:

New Independent Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

The StewartBrown December 2017 Aged Care Financial Performance Survey (ACFPS) incorporates detailed financial and supporting data from over 915 residential aged care facilities and over 21,400 home care packages (401 home care programs) across Australia.

The quarterly survey is the largest financial benchmark within the aged care sector and provides invaluable insight into the trends and drivers of financial performance at the sector level and at the facility or program level.

StewartBrown shows that 41% of residential aged care providers were making a loss in December 2017 and the situation is predicted to get worse.

Read more:

Residential sector report for December 2017 (.pdf)

Home Care sector report for December 2017 (.pdf)