Aged care news highlights from the week ending 15 December 2023, aggregated by Ideagen 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 Ideagen CompliSpace.

COVID-19 News 

COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program Extension grant finalisation

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, we have now finalised the process for the COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program Extension (GO4863) grant. All applications have been assessed. From Friday 15 December 2023, we will no longer accept correspondence regarding this grant process unless specific information is requested by the department. This grant provided support to aged care providers managing the impact of COVID-19 between 28 May 2021 and 31 December 2022. Applications for the COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program Extension (GO4863) grant closed on 31 March 2023.Visit our website for information on current supports for managing COVID-19 outbreaks.

Other News

71 per cent of aged carers say they’re struggling to meet 24/7 care

According to Aged Care Insite, one in five aged care workers says the 200 minute per resident mandate is 'impossible' to achieve, and 71 per cent say they are struggling to retain registered nurses (RN), according to a 2023 report. The Ideagen Aged Care Workforce Report surveyed 707 carers from July to August 2023, who overwhelmingly said new mandates are difficult to achieve due to a lack of staff and increased admin tasks, and not necessarily to do with low pay.

Govt publishes wrong care minute targets

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, providers have been told by the federal government to calculate their own care minute targets in wake of revelations it has been publishing incorrect data for over a year.

VAD: Federal Court rules telehealth illegal

According to Aged Care Insite, doctors who give patients information about euthanasia over the phone could face criminal charges, the Federal Court ruled. Federal Court Justice Wendy Abraham on Thursday ruled the term "suicide" as used in the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995 applies to the ending of a person’s life by voluntary assisted dying (VAD). This means it is an offence for a doctor to use a carriage service to counsel or incite another into ending their life, meaning doctors using telehealth, email, or phone calls could be found to have broken the law.

Provider governance reforms: Are you ready?

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, in late 2022, the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018 were amended to strengthen the governance arrangements of approved providers. These amendments introduced specific changes aimed at improving leadership and culture, and increasing transparency and accountability. We have issued a regulatory bulletin on Strengthening provider governance responsibilities – governing body requirements to support providers in meeting the new requirements.

Strengthening Quality Standards Pilot update

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, we have recently completed our strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards pilot. We are now evaluating the findings from the pilot to see how our new assessment methodology and the strengthened standards work in practice. We will be releasing the first draft of guidance materials in early 2024 for broader consultation with people receiving aged care, their carers, other providers and peak bodies. Visit our Stronger Standards, Better Aged Care Program page for updates on the pilot and the wider consultation process.

Govt allocates $2B to boost aged care wages and support providers

According to Inside Ageing, in a significant move to prioritise the welfare of aged care staff, the Albanese Government has announced a substantial investment, allocating $2.194 billion to raise the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) price to $253.82, effective from today, December 1, 2023. The new price represents a 4.4% increase on the previous AN-ACC price of $243.10.

AN-ACC price increased

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, on 1 December 2023, the Australian Government announced an investment of a more than $2 billion in residential aged care. This increases the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) price to $253.82. This additional funding supports aged care homes to pay the full increase in award wages for care staff, as handed down by the Fair Work Commission.

Free translating and interpreting services for aged care providers

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, did you know that you can get free translating and interpreting services to help older people and their carers navigate the aged care system? These services include: 

• Free translation service – translation of aged care service materials into languages other than English. 
• TIS National interpreting service – 24/7 access to TIS National interpreting services, including phone, on-site and video remote interpreting in multicultural languages.
• Deaf Connect sign language interpreting and captioning service – in-person and online sign language interpreting and live captioning to support older people to better engage with aged care services.

Older people who require translated information or interpreting services when contacting My Aged Care should be directed to the My Aged Care website. Follow the links above to understand and access these free services for your organisation.

Aged care minister applauds “ambitious reforms” as facilities continue to struggle

According to Aged Care Insite, Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells has commended the Albanese Government's "ambitious" aged care reforms despite facilities struggling to reach mandates. The latest Aged Care Quarterly Financial Snapshot (QFS) reported an increase of four minutes compared to last quarter, with residential aged care providers delivering care on an average of 194 minutes per resident.

NDIS: Major final report proposes intensive overhaul to disability services

According to Aged Care Insite, Bill Shorten said it was “always inevitable” there would be a “Mark II” moment in the NDIS. Speaking at the National Press Club after a landmark review into Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme was released on Thursday – a decade after it was first established – the Government Services Minister committed the Albanese government to transforming the scheme for the future. The review called for a five-year legislative overhaul to transform an “out of balance” system that rewards competitive behaviour among providers and gives people with disability little to no control over which services they access.

Home Care News

Support at Home to be rolled out in two stages

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the new Support at Home program will be delivered in two stages to minimise disruption and ensure continuity of care for older people. From 1 July 2025, Support at Home will replace the existing Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Programme. The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) will transition to the new program no earlier than 1 July 2027. We will continue to work with HCP and STRC providers to ensure they are prepared to transition to Support at Home well ahead of 1 July 2025.

Sector voices broad support for staged home care

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, stakeholders have mostly reacted favourably to the announcement that plans for a single home care program have been delayed until 2027.

Legislation

No significant developments this week.