Aged care news highlights from the week ending 13 August 2021, 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

Barely half of aged-care workers now vaccinated, despite looming deadline

According to The New Daily, the deadline for all aged-care workers to be vaccinated looms next month, but barely half of the cohort have been able to access a jab. It comes as a new report finds Australia is already facing a shortfall of aged-care workers, requiring at least 17,000 each year “just to meet basic standards of care”. Health Minister Greg Hunt says he is confident all aged-care workers will be vaccinated by the September 17 deadline, but with less than 40 days to go, only 56 per cent of those workers have yet received even a first dose of vaccine.

WA mandates vaccine for people working in aged care

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, residential aged care providers and people working in aged care homes in Western Australia will face fines up to $100,000 if they fail to follow new mandatory vaccine directions announced this week. Under the state-of-emergency direction approved by WA Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson on Monday, anyone working at an aged care facility must have one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 17 September.

WA - Directions for RACFs

(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, the Residential Aged Care Facility Worker Access Directions have been issued by the WA Government.

Key components of the directions are that they prevent residential aged care facility workers from entering residential aged care facilities if they have not received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. These directions will come into effect 12.01am on 17 September 2021.

You will also note that it will be an offence for a person to fail, without reasonable excuse, to comply with any of these directions, punishable by a fine of up to $20,000 for individuals and $100,000 for bodies corporate.

SA Health updated directions

(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, effective 4.57pm on 10 August 2021, the Emergency Management (Residential Aged Care Facilities No 39) (COVID-19) Direction 2021 has been revoked and replaced with Emergency Management (Residential Aged Care Facilities No 40) (COVID-19) Direction 2021.

Under the new Direction, RACF staff, contractors and volunteers are required to have received at least one dose of a TGA approved COVID-19 vaccine by 17 September and has received or has evidence of a booking to receive, a second dose.

It is expected that there will be a limited number of circumstances in which an exemption may apply.

SA Health authorised officers are able to provide exemptions to the Directions if they believe exceptional circumstances exist. All requests for exemptions must be made in writing to the Department for Health and Wellbeing by emailing officeforageingwell@sa.gov.au. Requests should include contact details and any information relevant to the request, including the urgency of the situation.

Information about where to access COVID-19 vaccines for residential aged care workers can be found on the SA Health website.

ACT Restrictions

(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, the ACT CHO has issued an updated alert on 12 August 2021 regarding the COVID-19 situation. In summary:

Updated advice for high-risk settings:

ACT is entering a seven-day lockdown from 5:00 pm on 12/08/21.  During this time, all visitors must be excluded from RACFs unless attending for the following reasons:

• Compassionate reasons
• End of life reasons
• For the purposes of performing essential work on or at the premises, that cannot be performed from the person’s residence
• Workers undertaking work that is not essential work are not permitted to enter or remain at the premises.

RACFs should continue to require all staff and visitors to complete entry screening questions. 

Please update the screening tool for your facility. The COVID-19 situation can change rapidly and as such, advice for high-risk settings is subject to change regularly. ACT Health will continue to keep you updated through these Chief Health Officer alerts.

NSW Health – Updated advice

(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, the screening advice for residential aged care facilities and home care service providers has been updated for 12 August 2021.

The key messages for this update include:

• There are new areas of concern in NSW for the Local Government Areas of:
  • Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton and Muswellbrook from 31 July until 19 August 2021 (inclusive)
  • Armidale LGA from 29 July until 14 August 2021 (inclusive).
  • Tamworth from 5 August until 16 August 2021 (inclusive).
  • Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley from 31 July until 16 August 2021 (inclusive).
  • Dubbo from 1 August until 18 August 2021 (inclusive).
  • Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Narromine, Walgett and Warren from 5 August until 19 August 2021 (inclusive).
• The temporary suspension of disability day programs has been extended in all of the NSW LGAs with stay at home orders.
• There are restrictions for Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory

Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory are considered affected areas and there are close and casual contact places of high concern. To view locations please see Latest COVID-19 case locations and alerts in NSW.

This information can change rapidly so please check the NSW Health website at least daily for updates.

Single site workforce arrangements and funding support for residential aged care providers in New South Wales

(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, workers at all residential aged care facilities in NSW are asked to limit their work to a single facility to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and protect workers and residents.

Providers in regional NSW should adjust their rosters as soon as practical and ensure staff are only working at one residential aged care facility for the next two weeks to 28 August. This date supersedes all previous announcements on single site arrangements.

Given the higher risk in Greater Sydney and Newcastle regions, these arrangements should continue until 11 September, as previously advised, in the following locations:

• Greater Sydney, including Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour; and
• The City of Cessnock, City of Lake Macquarie, Dungog Shire, Maitland, Muswellbrook Shire, Newcastle, Port Stephens Council and Singleton Council

Where these arrangements result in additional workforce expenses, providers are able to seek reimbursement from the Australian Government through the Support for Aged Care Workers in COVID-19 (SACWIC) Grant. The SACWIC grant opportunity remains open until 31 December 2021.

In addition to funding support, providers can also access guidance on practical implementation of single site arrangements, including employee relations expertise, through the Guiding Principles Support Hub website or hotline on 1800 491 793.

Residential aged care providers need to remain alert and prepared for a potential outbreak of COVID-19 at their facilities. The Department encourages you to be familiar with the measures you should have in place at all times to prevent and prepare for an outbreak and how to identify and manage an outbreak in residential aged care.

Please visit our website for information and resources to assist in preparing and managing a COVID-19 outbreak, including what to do in the first 24 hours of an outbreak in a residential aged care facility.

QLD restrictions update and PPE use

(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, RACFs in QLD please note that the 11 LGAs in South East Qld, Cairns and Yarrabah are currently rated at Moderate Risk for the purposes of the PPE Guidance, as per letter from Adjunct Professor Shelley Nowlan, A/Deputy Director General, Clinical Excellence Queensland.

The Queensland Government are encouraging all aged care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as a priority, further information about vaccination is available on their website.

See further information on restrictions for aged care and the roadmap summary of all restrictions across Queensland.

WA Health – Residential Aged Care Worker Vaccination webinar

(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, WA Health and the Australian Government Department of Health would like to invite all people working in aged care who may have questions about COVID-19 vaccination to participate in a webinar on Wednesday 25 August at 1:15pm-2pm (AWST).

Click on the link to join the COVID-19 Vaccination webinar for residential aged care workers, you do not need to register to attend. The session will be recorded and will be made available after the event. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions for The Residential Aged Care Facility Worker Access Directions and share this with your staff and relevant networks.

Lessons from recent outbreaks in residential aged care facilities – what you can do now that will help

(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, the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (VACRC) has produced a useful document from lessons learned during residential aged care facility (RACF) outbreaks - Lessons from recent outbreaks in residential aged care facilities – what you can do now that will help.

We continue to learn and review the small steps that can make a real difference if one of our RACFs have a COVID-19 outbreak.

Other News

Shortfall of 400,000 aged care workers predicted by 2050

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the aged care sector is facing a shortage of 110,000 direct care workers within a decade if immediate action is not taken, a Committee for Economic Development of Australia report has found. CEDA’s report released this week found the sector needs at least 17,000 more direct aged care workers, which includes personal care workers, nurses and allied health professionals, each year for the next 10 years to meet basic standards of care. If no action is taken, by 2050 there will be a shortage of 400,000 direct care staff needed to meet the three-star standard of 200 minutes of care per resident each day announced in the 2021-22 Federal Budget, it predicts.

Legislation

No significant developments this week.