Aged care news highlights from the fortnight ending 1 March 2024, aggregated by Ideagen.

The information in the ACE Wrap is aggregated from other news sources to provide you with news that is relevant to the aged care sector across Australia and worldwide. Each paragraph is a summary of the subject matter covered in the particular news article. The information does not necessarily reflect the views of Ideagen.

Residential Care and General Aged Care News

New My Aged Care data shows operator’s spending on care, staffing, food compared to sector averages

According to The Weekly Source, Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, has revealed new data is now available on My Aged Care, including how much providers are spending on care and nursing, administration, and food - and how the data compares to sector averages. It's another increase in transparency for residential aged care providers - who now may have to answer questions from would-be clients such as why they are spending 25% less than the sector average on care and nursing. Or potential consumers may simply opt for a different aged care home based on the data.

Australian Department of Health and Aged Care selects Google Cloud for data consolidation and compliance

According to ITWire, after a competitive tender process, the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care has selected Google Cloud to consolidate its data assets for greater regulatory compliance, cost savings, and faster innovation. The rationalisation of data assets on Google Cloud is expected to yield substantial savings and efficiencies.

Have your say – Strengthened Quality Standards draft guidance

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, the Commission is consulting on our draft guidance resources which aim to help providers, aged care workers and other stakeholders to understand the new strengthened Quality Standards and their roles and responsibilities in meeting them. Visit the consultation page on our website to review the draft guidance resources and provide your feedback. The last day for submitting feedback is 30 April 2024.

Draft new Aged Care Act consultation extended

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, the Australian Government has extended the consultation on the draft new Aged Care Act to 8 March 2024. Consultation closes at 7pm AEDT on Friday 8 March 2024. You can find all consultation details, including the face-to-face workshops, on the department’s website.

Reform insights wanted by aged care watchdog

According to Australian Ageing Agenda: how well is the government progressing in implementing the royal commission’s recommendations? That’s the question being asked by the Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care. Answers received will help inform the 2024 progress report. The focus of the report – which must be delivered to the Minister for Aged Care by 1 June – is accessibility and navigability of the system.

Consultation: New Aged Care Act closing soon

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, there’s still time to have your say. Consultation on the draft new Aged Care Act is open until Friday 8 March. Our in-person workshops and virtual workshops are continuing. Register to attend a workshop and give us your feedback on the draft Act and its impacts. You can also have your say by:  

• completing a survey online or calling our consultation line on 1800 318 209   
• sending us a written submission by email or post. 

If you have questions about the draft Act, join us for our next Q&A webinar at 2 pm (AEDT) on Wednesday 28 February. Pre-submit your questions when you register to attend. Read more about the new Aged Care Act consultation.

Updated Star Ratings on the My Aged Care Website

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, updated Star Ratings are on the My Aged Care website via the ‘Find a Provider’ tool. This update includes:

• Staffing and Quality Measures ratings data for July - September 2023
• Residents’ Experience Ratings for services that completed the annual survey between September-October 2023
• contemporary compliance ratings.

Find more information on Star Ratings and access our resources. You can also download the Star Ratings Improvement Manual for guidance on introducing changes to improve ratings.

Quality Indicator online reporting

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, we have updated the Quality Indicator reporting dashboard in the Government Provider Management System (GPMS). This update allows services to compare their quality indicator data against other services. GPMS users should note that results will not be displayed if a search produces less than 10 services. This is to ensure privacy and prevent the ability to identify any particular service provider. Check the compare service filter function in GPMS now via the Quality Indicators tile. You will find the ‘Compare Filters’ function within the Quality Indicators Reporting dashboard.

Voluntary assisted dying is different to suicide. But federal laws conflate them and restrict access to telehealth

According to Aged Care Insite, voluntary assisted dying is now lawful in every Australian state and will soon begin in the Australian Capital Territory. However, it’s illegal to discuss it via telehealth. That means people who live in rural and remote areas, or those who can’t physically go to see a doctor, may not be able to access the scheme. A federal private members bill, introduced to parliament last week, aims to change this. So what’s proposed and why is it needed?

Assaults in NSW aged care rise to highest level

According to Aged Care Insite, assaults reported at NSW aged cares have surged to the highest level in a decade, with the figure more than triple the number recorded a decade earlier.

No plan to change aged care asset test for family home

According to Aged Care Insite, the Albanese government has said it will not consider changing the mean-test threshold on family homes for the aged care asset test. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that as part of the federal task force's reviews, the family home threshold would be left unchanged at $197,735, and contributions would be based on other assets.

New data shows dementia to almost double over 30 years

According to Aged Care Insite, new data reveals the number of people living with dementia is expected to nearly double by 2054. Research by Dementia Australia revealed that dementia rates will increase by 93 per cent by 2054. Chief of Dementia Australia Maree McCabe said with dementia growing every year, an increase in support will be needed.

Where health care meets aged care - roles and responsibilities

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, we have published a joint statement on the roles and responsibilities for delivering health and aged care services. The purpose of this statement is to provide policy guidance for aged care and health providers and make it clear who does what. This has been developed in direct response to recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Aged Care Quality and Safety. You can find a summary in the Factsheet: Where health care meets aged care. This provides information for older people on the responsibilities of: 

• The Australian Government  
• State and territory governments  
• Residential aged care providers 
• Home care providers (including community care providers).

You can also read the full statement of roles and responsibilities.

Home Care News

Unpaid carers burnt out

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a study conducted by home and disability care provider The CareSide paints a picture of physical, mental and financial stress among Australia’s informal carers.

“Like Taylor Swift tickets”, Home Care Package allocations exhausted within hours

According to The Weekly Source, there were 51,044 Australians waiting for the level of home care services they were assessed as needing at the end of 2023, a 78% increase in only six months when wait times fell to historic lows, Senate Estimates heard in evidence from the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) last week.

Council-run in-home aged care services axed in Vic

According to Aged Care Insite, a Victorian council has decided to axe the in-home aged care services it provides to residents. In a council meeting last Wednesday, the City of Port Phillip, in Melbourne, voted to end its in-home aged care services. Around 650 residents rely on the services, which include domestic assistance, personal care, respite care, shopping assistance, property maintenance, and home modifications.

Legislation

Advance Care Directives (Review) Amendment Act 2023 (No. 38 of 2023) [SA] – commenced 1 March 2024

This Act seeks to amend the Advance Care Directives Act to improve the functioning of the advance care directive legislation in South Australia.

Advance Care Directives (Miscellaneous) Amendment Regulations 2024 (No. 2 of 2024) [SA] - commenced 1 March 2024

The Advance Care Directives Regulations 2014 are amended by inserting "Regulation 4A—Electronic copies of advance care directives"; amending "regulation 5—Giving advance care directives"; amending "regulation 8—Appointment of substitute decision-makers"; amending "regulation 9—Copies of advance care directives"; amending "regulation 12—Interstate advance care directives and corresponding laws"; substitution of "regulation 12A—Exemption from requirement to give effect to advance care directives where suicide attempt or self-harm"; substituting "Schedule 1—List of suitable witnesses".