Aged care news highlights from the week ending 06 May 2022, aggregated by CompliSpace.

The information in the Weekly 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 CompliSpace.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 News

Resources available for providers on changed reporting requirements on COVID-19 vaccination

(Note: this excerpt is from the Department of Health newsletter. We cannot provide a link to the full version of this story until the Department of Health uploads it to their website.)

According to The Department of Health, from Tuesday 3 May 2022 all aged care providers are required to report on workforce and/or resident COVID-19 vaccinations via a new online form via the aged care provider portal.

To assist residential, in-home and community aged care workers report via the new online form, the Department hosted a webinar on 27 April 2022 and a recording of the webinar is now available for on demand viewing: Changes to provider reporting on resident and workforce COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, the following resources are available to support providers’ reporting:

• Quick reference guide – How to view, add and update COVID-19 vaccination data
• Guidance for residential aged care providers on reporting resident and workforce COVID-19 vaccinations
• Guidance for in home and community aged care providers on reporting workforce COVID-19 vaccinations
• Guidance for sub-contractors on reporting workforce COVID-19 vaccinations.

Further information is available on the Department's website: Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination reporting.

Partnerships In Care Program Resources

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, a Partnership in care program supports aged care residents and their family or close friends, to continue their relationships of care and companionship even during periods of an infectious outbreak. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has developed resources to assist residential aged care providers:

• Provider factsheet – explaining Partnerships in care programs to residential aged care providers.
• Provider toolkit – support for providers to establish a Partnerships in care program in their service.

Other News

New aged care peak body entity full steam ahead

According to Aged Care Guide, in a momentous vote, members of aged care peak bodies Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) have agreed to create a new united entity to represent aged care providers.

Date set for workforce walkout

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, more than 12,000 aged care workers across eight major providers will strike over pay and conditions on Tuesday 10 May. “Aged care workers have been forced to take unprecedented strike action because of pay and conditions that are failing workers and failing residents,” United Workers Union aged care director Carolyn Smith said in a statement. Core grievances include low pay and staff shortages.

Strike Action and The Australian Defence Force

According to the Department of Health, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) continues to have personnel available in all jurisdictions to support residential aged care facilities impacted by workforce pressures due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Please note that in the event of any industrial action occurring in an aged care facility, including the proposed strikes in the week of 9 May 2022, the ADF is prohibited from being on-site during any industrial action. The Defence Act 1903 states that the ADF shall not be called out or utilised in connection with an industrial dispute. Case managers will be asking outbreak sites seeking workforce support from ADF if they are subject to industrial action and will not be able to accept requests if they are.

Your essential guide to celebrating International Nurses Day 2022

According to the Australian College of Nursing, Held on May 12, International Nurses Day (IND) is a time for our nursing community to celebrate the wins of 2022, give back to those who have supported us through our hard times, and find out more about the long history of the nursing profession. It is a day where our profession is front and centre, and after a long and disaster filled two years, we certainly deserve it! Read more about the events happening here.

Celebrate International Nurses Day – 12 May

According to the Department of Health, the University of Wollongong and the University of Canberra invite you to join them on International Nurses Day (12 May 2022) to celebrate the outstanding work of nurses who care for older people.

Speakers from the health sector, aged care and academia will highlight some of the great work undertaken in the field, and announce the recipient of the 2022 Pamela Jane Nye Working Nurse Scholarship. This event is open to anyone who wants to recognise the important role of nurses in maintaining the health and wellbeing of older Australians.

Register for the free Zoom webinar.

Quarterly Financial Report and template

According to the Department of Health, the Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) is scheduled to commence from 1 July 2022, with a due date of 4 November 2022 for the first quarter. It was developed in consultation with finance managers and CFOs and applies to residential and home care providers. The QFR will be used to:

• track, monitor and benchmark the sector
• provide information for the star rating system to help senior Australians make informed choices
• help with policy planning and development
• monitor direct care minutes and inform the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN‑ACC) pricing model.

Find information about the QFR and review the template on the Forms Administration website. Technical help will be available through webinars and a helpdesk. For feedback or questions email ffbconsultations@health.gov.au

Supporting bereaved family members with the Australian Death Notification Service

According to the Department of Health, the Australian Death Notification Service (ADNS) is a free national service that allows family members to notify multiple organisations of a death using a single online notification. My Aged Care has partnered with the ADNS along with 60 other organisations across government, utility, banking, insurance and superannuation industries.

ADNS flyers are available to share with your care recipients and their loved ones. To order, email adns.bdm@customerservice.nsw.gov.au, including your postal address and the number of flyers you would like. Find out more about how ADNS works with My Aged Care, or read more on the ADNS website.

Expansion of the Aged Care Transition to Practice Program

According to the Department of Health, the Aged Care Transition to Practice (ACTTP) Program has expanded. It now offers streams for newly graduated enrolled nurses, and experienced registered nurses who are new to the aged care sector. Newly graduated registered nurses continue to be eligible for the program. The ACTTP Program supports new aged care nurses with mentorship and training. Read more information, including how to participate in the ACTTP Program, on the department’s website.

Specialist Dementia Care Program Grant Opportunity closing soon

According to the Department of Health, applications for the Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) Phase Two Grant opportunity close at 2pm AEST, Friday 13 May 2022. Residential aged care providers located within the following nine PHN regions are invited to apply:

• New South Wales: Hunter, New England and Central Coast; Central and Eastern Sydney; South Eastern NSW
• Western Australia:  Perth South
• Victoria: Eastern Melbourne; Western Victoria
• South Australia: Adelaide
• Tasmania (northern and southern regions only)
• Australian Capital Territory.

Further grant rounds for remaining PHN regions will be held over the next two years. Information about the SDCP Grant Opportunity (GO 5304), including the link to the recent webinar and frequently asked questions, is available on the GrantConnect website.

Legislation

No significant developments this week.