News

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)

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

Australian Ageing Agenda:

Provider developing a driving simulator for seniors

New data shows more facilities in the red

Risk profiling, star ratings among new quality reforms

Aged Care Guide:

Media coverage continues to call into question aged care quality

Quest for quality in aged care results in new Quality and Safety Commission

Quality Agency consults with consumers for new standards

The Weekly Source:

41% of aged care providers losing money: StewartBrown blames ACFI freeze

ABC launches investigation into ‘nursing homes’ – 7.30 Report puts the spotlight on failings at QLD aged care facility

Aged care peaks call for urgent funding boost as providers fall into the red

John Pollaers pushes for aged care code of practice: The Australian

Other:

HITN – Electronic prescribing error in month-old EHR responsible for death of NSW man, State Coroner finds

HITN – Healthcare suffers almost a quarter of data breaches, as reports skyrocket under mandatory notification scheme

ITN – The virtual assistant that could help Australians with e-health records

ABC – Aged care cuts to qualified staff putting lives at risk, family of woman in septicaemia death say

ABC – Aged care safety commission a ‘one-stop shop’ to tackle elder abuse following Oakden scandal

CH9 – Aged care crisis

CH9 – Nursing home staffing debacle

Media Release: 18 April 2018

The Turnbull Government will ensure Australians in the aged care system are better cared for, through raising the quality benchmarks that homes must meet.

The significant reforms will give senior Australians and their families confidence they will be properly cared for and will, for the first time, establish a new national independent Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and increase transparency through a publicly available rating against quality standards.

At the heart of the latest Turnbull Government reforms, aged care regulation, compliance and complaints handling will be brought together in a new and independent Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Read more:

Powerful New Reforms to Ensure Safe, Quality Aged Care (.pdf)

Media Release: 18 April 2018

More than 4.5 million Australians who are most at risk of getting sick during this year’s flu season can now access a free influenza vaccine, under the Federal Government’s National Immunisation Program.

Last year we saw the highest influenza activity in Australia in almost a decade, mirroring a global trend, with more than 250,000 Australians testing positive for influenza and double the normal hospitalisations.

I urge all Australians to consider getting a flu shot this year. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for any person six months of age and older, with vaccines also available on the private market.

It’s important to get the flu shot every year, as the virus changes year to year.

Read more:

2018 influenza vaccines now available (.pdf)

Media Release: 16 April 2018

Australia’s inaugural Advance Care Planning Week begins today, encouraging people of all ages to prepare their personal end of life care plans, to give certainty to themselves and their families.

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt AM said the Turnbull Government understood the rapidly growing importance of Advance Care Planning and was supporting Austin Health with $4.1 million to run a three-year awareness and commitment program.

“Research shows that around half of us will be incapable of making our own medical decisions as we approach the end of our lives,” Minister Wyatt said.

“Despite this, less than 15% of Australians have recorded an Advance Care Plan.

Read more:

Tough Talk: Australians Urged to Plan for End Of Life Care (.pdf)