Aged care news highlights from the week ending 13 September 2020.

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 and Critical Success Solutions.

Coronavirus / COVID-19 News

Aged care workers stressed about flood of paperwork: study

According to The Australian*, workers in nursing homes are not only struggling with life in the time of COVID-19, they are also increasingly stressed about greater levels of paperwork that is eating into the time they can spend with residents. A new study finds 78 per cent of aged-care managers reporting increased stress over the past 12 months since the introduction of new Aged Care Quality Standards. More than nine in 10 say a greater level of paperwork required by the standards is reducing face-to-face care of the nursing home population, the report by aged-care specialists CompliSpace finds.

“The aged-care sector is under intense stress as aged-care staff endure more work in trying to meet the regulatory requirements, without further support or funding from the government,” CompliSpace chief executive David Griffiths said.

“Our study found the administrative burden of the new regulations may be adding strain to the sector, putting staff retention at risk and pointing to reduced capacity to care for residents. The eight new Aged Care Quality Standards replaced four previous benchmarks. While they were necessary, we believe the unintended impacts have not been fully assessed,” he said.

*this article is behind a paywall.

In a related article:

Rude, obnoxious, poor knowledge: quality assessors determined to find non-compliance, survey of facility managers says

According to The Weekly Source, despite visits rarely resulting in sanctions, the assessment process is often stressful, labour-intensive, confusing and misguided for aged care homes and their staff thanks to aggressive or poorly informed quality assessors according to a new survey.

The survey – by aged care governance firm CompliSpace – looked at the impact of the new Aged Care Quality Standards on aged care homes since they commenced on 1 July 2019 using responses from 154 participants from over 250 aged care service providers between 30 June 30 and 10 July 2020.

Its findings show that reaccreditation by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissions (ACQSC) under the new Standards is proving a real challenge. Of the 33% of aged care homes that had undertaken reaccreditation in the past year, 41% of managers said the experience was harder than previous accreditations.

Respondents pointed to a range of issues including poor communication and timeframes from assessors; assessors making incorrect assessments that were later overturned; being rude, obnoxious and generally having poor knowledge; using inconsistent and unclear methodologies; and appearing to have an agenda to find non-compliance.

Department of Home Affairs measures to support the Aged Care sector workforce

(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 Department of Home Affairs has advised that from today the following measures will take effect to support the aged care sector:

Extending the relaxation of the 40 hour per fortnight work restriction for international student visa holders to all those working in aged care as at 8 September (via flexible application of policy). Please refer to the Home Affairs website for details

Allowing temporary visa holders (eg: visitor visa holders) with relevant skills to apply for a COVID-19 Pandemic event visa to allow work in the aged care sector if they have an offer of employment (via legislative instrument change to commence 8 September 2020). Please refer to the legislative instrument registered with the Federal Register of Legislation (F2020L01145) and the Home Affairs website, Aged Care, Industry and employers section for details.

The measures were developed due to significant workforce pressures in the aged care sector.

Federal aged care watchdog approved homes with worst COVID-19 outbreaks

According to The Age, many of the aged care homes hardest hit by Victoria's coronavirus outbreaks were given a clean bill of health by the federal regulator only months before their first infections. The revelation comes as new data released exclusively to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald shows the full extent of COVID-19 fatalities in nursing homes. Fifty homes across Melbourne have recorded at least one resident death.

Independent reviews into COVID-19 Outbreaks at St Basil’s Home for the Aged and Heritage Care Epping Gardens have commenced

(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, independent reviews into the COVID-19 outbreaks at St Basil’s Home for the Aged and Heritage Care Epping Gardens have now commenced. Both reviews will be conducted by Professor Lyn Gilbert and Adjunct Professor Alan Lilly. The reviews will be carried out during September and October with the final reports due in mid-November 2020.

Professor Gilbert and Adjunct Professor Lilly collectively bring decades of experience in aged care, health administration, infectious diseases and infection prevention and control, and clinical care. They previously completed a review into the COVID-19 outbreak at Newmarch House in Sydney. This report is available on the Department’s website.

Workforce Retention Bonus update

(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 Australian Government has announced it will provide an additional $563.3 million to further support the aged care sector’s response to COVID-19. This takes the Government’s support for senior Australians in aged care to over $1.5 billion since the pandemic began.

The package included an additional $154.5 million for a third Workforce Retention Payment based on eligible employment as at 30 November 2020. This payment will be made automatically in line with the September payment subject to variations.

September Payment Variations
The variation process for the second payment has now closed. Adjusted grant schedules will be issued in the last week in September with funds being paid to nominated bank accounts after 5 business days. For those providers that did not need to submit a variation your payment will be automatic.  If you believe you should have submitted a variation and did not by the due date, please email acwr@health.gov.au.  It is important to note that variations are only required if your payment amount would reduce by 10% or more or any increase in payment.

Audit Program
PricewaterhouseCoppers (PwC) has commenced their undertaking of the audit activity on behalf of the Department. The random, and targeted, audits for Payment #1 are now well underway, with providers being contacted by the Department initially, and then PwC, as they are selected. It is important if you are selected, that you provide the requested information to PwC in a timely manner. These audits will be conducted throughout the life on this program. If you are selected for audit but are currently directly affected by COVID please advise the Department or PwC immediately to defer your audit process.

VACRC information supporting staff to return to work safely

(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, Victoria’s aged care facilities and workforce is more important than ever. The Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (VACRC) has sent an email to residential aged care providers in Victoria with information to assist the aged care workforce to return to work in a safe way. Right now, the Australian and Victorian governments want to ensure healthy aged care staff can return to providing care and support for vulnerable, older Victorians as soon as possible.

A fact sheet has been developed for aged care staff to:

• Answer frequently asked questions
• Provide information about quarantine and self-isolation requirements
• Explain protection measures
• Prepare staff for returning to work.

In addition, we wish to draw your attention to the communications guidelines for effective communications that the VACRC put together as a guide to assist you in your communications with residents, families and staff, prior to, during and following a COVID-19 outbreak.

Lunch and Learn, VACRC Webinar series for residential aged care and COVID-19

(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, to assist aged care providers to navigate these challenging times, the Victorian Age Care Response Centre (VACRC) has launched a new “lunch and learn” webinar series. The free, twice weekly, lunchtime webinar series will begin today from 1pm with focus on Waste Requirements, Disposal and Management.

Upcoming webinars will focus on Coordination of COVID-19 Prevention & Preparation including Stress Testing, and Family Engagement and Communication. See the brochure for further information on when they are and what topics are coming up.

The sessions are designed to equip providers with vital information on new and emerging issues that need to be addressed in the pandemic period as well as provide a forum to address the questions arising now as we navigate the crisis.

To register for the series go to: www.lasa.asn.au/events. Recordings will be made available to registrants after the session.

Vitamin D in aged care could help fight COVID: Institute of Integrative Medicine

According to Aged Care Insite, a Melbourne medical research institute is calling for a vitamin D rollout in Australia’s aged care facilities “without delay”, arguing the supplements can build immunity to COVID-19 and help save lives. The National Institute of Integrative Medicine’s (NIIM) Professor Ian Brighthope said there was mounting evidence the widely available nutrient could play a significant defensive role against coronavirus. He called on the Federal Government to subsidise the supplements in aged care facilities, saying the move had the “potential to save hundreds, if not thousands of lives”.

PM details $1.7b deal for COVID-19 vaccines

According to Aged Care Insite, Australians will get free access to a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 under a $1.7 billion supply and production agreement between government and pharmaceutical companies. Under the agreement, the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca and the University of Queensland-CSL will provide more than 84.8 million vaccine doses for the Australian population, almost entirely manufactured in Melbourne. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians could get access to 3.8 million doses of the Oxford vaccine as early as January and February 2021.

Virus focus turns to healthcare workers

According to Aged Care Insite, governments and medical experts have agreed to throw more resources at stemming the high rate of coronavirus infections among healthcare workers. The boost comes as senior figures talked down the impact of a research pause on a promising British-designed vaccine that has been earmarked for Australians. Victoria alone has seen almost 3300 cases of COVID-19 in healthcare workers, with 354 currently active and 860 hospital staff furloughed.

Will Aged Care Staff Ratios Be One Of The Outcomes Of COVID-19?

According to HelloCare, there is a growing acceptance in Australia that greater transparency around staffing numbers will become part of the aged care landscape in the future. The country’s largest peak body for aged care providers has switched its opposition to ratios to support for a new concept: ‘smart ratios’. The pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in our aged care system, leading to rethinking of past practices and reconsidering of the future. More than 2,000 aged care residents have contracted COVID-19 and tragically nearly 600 residents have died. Though Australia has done better than some countries in protecting its older citizens, it is still a disaster of immense proportions.

Additional measures to protect healthcare workers

(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 Australian Government is implementing three new measures to increase protection and reduce the number of healthcare workers being infected with COVID-19. With so much evidence emerging so quickly, these measures will help all states and territories learn from what has occurred in Victoria and new information from around the world.

The new measures include:

• Partnership between the Infection Control Expert Group and the National COVID-19 Evidence Taskforce, to review the latest evidence on infection prevention and control during COVID-19.
• Expansion of national surveillance of healthcare worker infection, to ensure we have a better understanding of COVID-19 among healthcare workers at the state and territory level.
• A new network of ‘COVID-NET’ epidemiologists, available on request by state and territory public health units, to assist investigating healthcare worker outbreaks and analyse data at a national level.

Read the full statement.

Counselling for Victorian aged care workers

(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 Federal Government, Industry, Peak Bodies and Unions are working together to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections in residential aged care facilities. A reminder that support is available for aged care workers whose regular working arrangements have changed as a result of the application of single site arrangements as set out in the Guiding Principles. These workers can get free counselling services from Converge International.

Converge International will deliver up to five free counselling sessions per person. Services include employee and manager support, career guidance, financial counselling and family support. These services are available till 10 November 2020. Phone 1800 687 327 (free call) or visit Converge International to book an appointment. Please state that you are from the "VIC Residential Aged Care Workforce" when booking.

In addition, a Support Hub is available for Victorian aged care providers using the Principles. The Guiding Principles Support Hub by ACSA and LASA is available by phoning 1800 491 793 (free call).

Short-term Home Support for residents on leave

A national model of emergency support is now available for up to eight weeks through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) for residents of aged care homes who temporarily transition to the community. The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) can provide information to residents and their families on their eligibility for home support services, their risks and responsibilities and things to consider before returning a loved one to the community.

This program is not designed to provide ongoing support. If a resident wants to remain permanently in the community they will need to relinquish their position in residential aged care and contact My Aged Care for a formal assessment for a Home Care Package. More information can be found in the fact sheet.

Other News

Financial transparency in aged care

According to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, an independent report on aged care providers' financial information says that there is insufficient financial transparency about the use of funds from Government and people in care, which in 2018–19 totalled approximately $25 billion.

The Royal Commissioners into Aged Care Quality and Safety engaged global professional services firm BDO to analyse the data supplied by aged care providers to the Australian Department of Health. BDO's findings are presented in Research Paper 12 – Report on the profitability and viability of the Australian aged care industry which is available on the Royal Commission's website.

Morrison rejects aged care tax trade-off

According to Aged Care Insite, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out introducing an income tax hike to cover the cost of providing aged care. A report ordered by the aged care royal commission has found either a one per cent tax increase or a rise in the Medicare levy would be required to pay for crucial improvements in nursing homes. Mr Morrison has indicated there will be more money for aged care in the upcoming federal budget. But he dismissed the idea of hiking the Medicare levy to pay for it.

Quality aged care affordable, says forecasting expert

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, aged care reforms being considered by the royal commission including increased staffing levels and time spent with residents are achievable by lifting the income tax by 1 per cent, new modelling shows. It is also achievable by increasing the Medicare Levy by 0.9 per cent, according to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s eleventh research paper. This is less than what Australians are prepared to pay, according to a Flinders University survey of 10,000 Australians for the royal commission. It found taxpayers on average would pay 1.4 per cent more tax for quality care and more than 3 per cent more tax for high quality care.

Half of residential aged care providers financially viable: RC report

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, less than two-thirds of residential aged care providers are profitable and only half are viable, a new report commissioned for the aged care royal commission shows. But while 10 per cent of residential providers are both unprofitable and unviable there’s uncertainty about the financial performance of the remaining providers. The report found the sector had little financial transparency and that its financial performance is complex and unclear due to a lack of reporting, use of group entity structures, transactions between related entities and the delivery of non-aged care activities by some providers.

Development of guide to improve psychotropics use underway

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a Monash University project is developing guidelines to assist the appropriate use of psychotropic medications for people living with dementia. Monash University’s Centre for Medicine Use and Safety is developing the guidelines in response to the high use of psychotropic medications in residential aged care and the Royal Commission’s interim report recommendations to avoid chemical restraints. The project, which is funded by the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration, aims to support the appropriate use of psychotropic medications for aged care residents with dementia.

Guide supports seniors to reflect on meaning in their lives

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, spiritual care in ageing peak body Meaningful Ageing Australia has co-developed a guide with seniors to help them gain a sense of meaning around ageing. MAA has launched a crowdfunding initiative to publish and distribute the resource called The Map of Meaning and Ageing: a self-reflection guide, which canvasses a range of topics related to ageing. The guide is the next phase of MAA’s See Me Know Me campaign, which aims to help aged care organisations respond to clients’ pastoral and spiritual needs and empower consumers to access suitable aged care services. Meaningful Ageing Australia CEO Ilsa Hampton said the guide provided an opportunity for individuals or small groups to work through what getting older means for them.

First Australian definitions for wellness and reablement released

According to Community Care Review, a position paper published by the Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) provides the first Australian definitions for wellness and reablement, including 10 core principles to consider when delivering reablement in aged care. It also sets out the difference between reablement, wellness and restorative care, and rehabilitation.

Ushering in aged care workforce reform

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, Louise O’Neil was appointed in June to head the body overseeing the delivery of the Aged Care Workforce Strategy, A Matter of Care. The strategy, authored by by Professor John Pollaers, was released in September 2018 and contained 14 measures for workforce reform. The Aged Care Workforce Industry Council was established in May 2019 to oversee, co-ordinate and sequence its implementation.

Call for sector to band together for change

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the aged care sector needs to speak with a united voice to bring about the change the industry requires, a leading dementia advocate has told a dementia symposium this week. Dementia and aged care advocate Ita Buttrose said the aged care sector required an all-of-industry approach to address the challenges and changes it was experiencing. “The aged care industry is at a point where it is no longer a question to change or not to change. Change is underway and now it is up to many of you to successfully manage change without any loss of staff morale, productivity or expertise,” Ms Buttrose told the Dementia Australia National Symposium Series 2020 on Tuesday. “I’d like to suggest that you consider an all industry approach to meeting the challenges of aged care,” she said. An entire industry speaking with a united voice will be a lot more powerful, but it needs to incorporate substandard care providers too, she said.

Legislation

Migration (LIN 20/229: COVID-19 Pandemic event for Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) visa and visa application charge for Temporary Activity (Class GG) visa) Instrument 2020 (Cth) – Commenced 8.09.20

The purpose of the instrument is to adjust and expand the measure introduced by the Migration (LIN 20/122: COVID-19 Pandemic event for Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) visa and visa application charge for Temporary Activity (Class GG) visa) Instrument 2020 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has evolved since the measure was initially implemented. This instrument specifies an additional class of persons to enable people with the relevant skills and qualifications to undertake work in the aged care sector to apply for the Subclass 408 visa.

Public Health Emergency Order under Section 22D (PHEO #2 extension) (VIC) – Commences 27.09.20 expires 27.03.21       

This Order extends the public health emergency order (PHEO #2) published in the Victorian Government Gazette on 26 March 2020 in the belief that it is necessary to do so in order to prevent a serious risk to public health and to respond to the public health emergency which is the continued demand on the health work force arising from coronavirus (COVID-19) in Victoria. Direct access to the health workforce to obtain a prescription may be more difficult given that self-isolation for persons impacted by COVID-19 is one mechanism for the prevention, management and treatment of human infection by COVID-19. The purpose of this Order is to enable persons in Victoria to obtain a Schedule 4 poison directly from a pharmacist, in certain circumstances, for the duration of this Order.

Public Health Emergency Order under Section 22D (PHEO #4 extension) (VIC) – Commences 06.10.20 expires 27.03.21

This Order extends the public health emergency order (PHEO #4 amended) published in the Victoria Government Gazette on 11 May 2020, in the belief that it is necessary to do so to prevent a serious risk to public health arising from the spread of COVID-19 virus.

Public Health Emergency Order under Section 22D (PHEO #6 extension) (VIC) – Commences 27.09.20 expires 27.03.21

This Order extends the public health emergency order (PHEO #6) published in the Victorian Government Gazette on 10 June 2020 in the belief that it is necessary to do so in order to respond to the public health emergency which is the continued demand on the workforce of registered medical practitioners and nurse practitioners dealing with prevention and treatment of human infection with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Victoria. The purpose of this Order is to remove the requirement for a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner to apply for a Schedule 8 permit in certain circumstances, for the duration of the Order.

Criminal Code and Other Legislation (Wage Theft) Amendment Bill 2020 (Qld) – passed 9.09.20

The Queensland Parliamentary Education, Employment and Small Business Committee (the Committee) conducted an inquiry into wage theft in Queensland and tabled its report A fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work? Exposing the true cost of wage theft in Queensland (the Report) on 16 November 2018.

The Committee found that wage theft is endemic across Queensland, affecting 437,000 workers and costing them approximately $1.22 billion in wages and $1.12 billion in unpaid superannuation each year. The Committee heard accounts of wage theft as well as deliberate action by employers to frustrate employees’ attempts to recover their entitlements.

The Committee found affected workers, especially temporary migrants and young people, are poorly informed about avenues for reclaiming their wages, and that efforts to recover wages were made difficult or otherwise were unsupported by an under-resourced federal regulator, the Fair Work Ombudsman. Concerns were raised of employers engaging in wage theft to lower their operating costs, increase profits and gain advantage over competitors with little fear of being caught. In some instances, the conduct of employers ‘...was of such a systemic nature it was included in the employers’ business model’. In addition to exploiting workers, these practices harm businesses complying with legislative requirements by driving down prices impacting competition.

The Bill achieves its objective of implementing the underlying policy intent of recommendations 8 and 15 of the Report by:

(i) enabling the prosecution of wage theft as stealing under the Criminal Code;

(ii) increasing the maximum penalties in the Criminal Code for the offences of stealing and fraud relating to wage theft; and

(iii) facilitating the Industrial Magistrates Court’s jurisdiction for wage recovery matters, including the small claims wage recovery procedure for matters of not more than $20,000 under section 548 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cwth) (FW Act).

Resources and Upcoming Events

LASA National Congress – online 12-23 October 2020

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, designed for any member of our industry – from managers to carers – this vital professional development opportunity will provide you with a full schedule of quality sessions.

Clinical Governance in Aged Care Conference – online 28 and 28 October 2020

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Clinical Governance in Aged Care conference is taking place on 28th & 29th October 2020 via live stream and will support you with the knowledge and practical insights to improve safety, accountability and compliance. You'll learn strategies to help you deliver improved outcomes as an aged care provider for your customers through the pandemic and beyond.

New Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Resources – issued June 2020

The ACQSC has issued the following resources:

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Glossary: The Commission has produced a glossary of common terms to aid understanding of the aged care services sector. The list is not intended to be exhaustive and is provided as general information only.

Common questions you may want to ask residential aged care services about COVID-19: You, your friends and family have a right to know how your residential aged care service is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have developed some common questions that you can ask your service provider during this time.

Service Compliance Ratings Fact Sheet: The Department of Health, in partnership with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission), is introducing a service compliance rating system for residential aged care services. The rating system was developed in consultation with stakeholders, including senior Australians, their caregivers, aged care providers, and a range of peak bodies.

Flu vaccination poster

The Department of Health has issued this Flu Vaccination Poster. Residential aged care facilities may wish to display the attached poster at entrances, to alert anyone entering the facility of the flu vaccination requirements that came into effect on 1 May 2020.

Older Person’s COVID-19 Support Line

According to The Department of Health, a new Older Person’s COVID-19 Support Line has been set up to provide information, support and check on older Australians during the period of social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. COTA Australia, National Seniors, Dementia Australia and the Older Person’s Advocacy Network have banded together to deliver this service with support from the Australian Government.

Senior Australians, their families and carers can freecall 1800 171 866 if they:

• would like to talk with someone about what COVID-19 means for them or a loved one
• are feeling lonely or distressed
• are caring for a someone and need some information or a listening ear about what COVID-19 means for your circumstances
• are worried about COVID-19 means for their usual aged care service
• are worried about a friend or family member living with dementia.
• are unable to access information on the internet and would like up-to-date advice.

Home care services providers can also use the number and dial option 1 to refer home care clients who would like a call from an independent organisation to check on their wellbeing.

The service will include outbound and inbound calls to provide contact, reassurance and practical advice on connecting to services to maximise social engagement and wellbeing whilst at home.

Resources on diverse population groups are now available for aged care staff

According to The Department of Health, The End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) website helps you to care for older Australians at the end of life. Our new diversity resources can help health workers and aged care staff to care for:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Care leavers
• Carers
• Culturally and linguistically diverse people
• Financially or socially disadvantaged people
• People experiencing homelessness
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people
• People living in rural and remote areas
• People with spirituality and faith beliefs
• Veterans

How people think about death, dying and end of life is different for each person. Learning about these differences can help you to provide good palliative care. Access these resources on the Diverse Population Groups page of the ELDAC website.

Calculating residential accommodation payments in a leap year

This year is a leap year, with 366 days instead of 365. The Department of Health has received queries from approved providers of residential care seeking advice on how to calculate a daily accommodation payment (DAP) in a leap year. The calculators specified in the Fees and Payments Principles 2014 (No. 2) (the Principles) refer to 365 days for working out:

• the DAP (or contribution) equivalent to a refundable accommodation deposit (RAD) (or contribution)
• the amount of interest on a RAD (or contribution) balance or accommodation bond balance.

Even though 2020 is a leap year, residential care providers should continue to use 365 days when calculating DAP amounts and the interest payable on refunds of lump sum deposits. But please be aware that daily payments and daily contributions are payable for 366 days in 2020.

What Matters Most – New person centred care resources

According to The Department of Health, Palliative Care Australia, through a Dementia and Aged Care Services Fund grant, has launched a suite of resources to encourage early conversations about What Matters Most to older people, their care and their end of life preferences.

6 steps for safe prescribing antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in residential aged care

Issued by the Department of Health, this infographic outlines the 6 steps for safe prescribing antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in residential aged care.

Aged care video alert: Dignity of risk

According to Lexology, the concept of dignity of risk is not entirely new, however it now has a position of prominence in aged care with the Aged Care Quality Standards. In this video update, senior associate Dr Melanie Tan explains:

• What does dignity of risk mean?
• Where and when does dignity of risk apply?
• What is the duty of care within dignity of risk?