Major Aged Care Reforms in 2024: What to expect
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Weekly Wrap: June 16, 2019

18/06/19
Resources

Aged care news highlights from the week ending 16 June 2019.

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.


New My Aged Care Test Website Launched

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Department of Health has launched a test website for consumers to trial its redeveloped My Aged Care website. It comes after a $61.7 million funding allocation to redevelop the My Aged Care website was announced in the 2018-19 Federal Budget handed down in May 2018. The new website aims to make it easier for consumers to navigate and find information about aged care services, understand the process and support consumer choice. Aged care organisations are encouraged to review their information in the updated service finder tool, now renamed as Find a Provider, to ensure it is accurate and reflects provider’s service offerings.

Financial Performance of the Sector Deteriorating

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the current aged care funding model remains under significant strain, with more than 45 per cent of residential aged care facilities operating at a loss, according to StewartBrown’s quarterly benchmarking report. The figure is slightly up from 42.3 per cent in the December 2018 quarter, but on par with the findings for March 2018 (45.1 per cent). Sixty-seven per cent of services in outer regional, rural and remote areas are operating at a loss, up from 61 per cent the previous quarter. More than 43 per cent of facilities in these geographic areas are operating at a cash deficiency. The StewartBrown March 2019 Aged Care Financial Performance Survey includes data from 183 approved provider organisations, 952 residential aged care facilities and 26,180 home care packages across Australia.

Australian-first Survey Shows Sector in Crisis

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the three most pressing issues facing residential aged care services in Australia remain the same as they have for decades: workforce inadequacies, lack of funding and challenges managing residents with dementia, revealed a survey among services in Victoria, which authors say reflects literature on the country as a whole. The survey was the first in Australia to look at research priorities in residential aged care. All 754 Victorian residential aged care facilities were invited to list the three most important areas where they would like more research, with 162 participating. Findings highlight the urgent need for workforce reform, including improved nurse-to-resident ratios and wage parity with other sectors, and adequate funding to ensure this happens.

Do Residential Aged Care Staff have time for Research?

According to Aged Care Insite, an academic survey carried out by researchers from La Trobe University has found that most aged care staff don’t have the access or time to read research evidence that could improve the care they give to residents. Surveying Victorian residential aged care staff, the study asked them to list three research priorities they felt were relevant to the care they provide. The most common responses were workforce issues – staff ratios and retention – managing residents with dementia and the funding of aged care. The researchers concluded that although there is a wealth of academic research on dementia, due to time constraints and poor access, it is hard for staff to translate these ideas into practice.

Memory Lounge Rekindles the Past for People living with Dementia

According to ABC News, the Memory Lounge program at the Queensland State Archives in Brisbane has only been running since the start of the year but is proving so popular the State Archives staff are now taking bookings for groups on average every week. The lounge space has been deliberately designed to be "dementia friendly" down to the fabric and colour of the chairs, carpet and curtains. It provides visitors with access to photos designed to prompt memories and conversations. "It's about getting those that are in the group to share stories, or connections, or experiences that are sparked from the photograph even if it trails off into something else," says program organiser Elysha Rei. "It's just about creating that dialogue and giving them a social outing."

The Disturbing Rise in High Blood Pressure among Australians

According to The New Daily, new research finds that one in three adult Australians have high blood pressure – more than six million people. In 2009 it was one in five, or about four million people. That was 20 per cent of the population 10 years ago – and nearly 33 per cent today. And half of those people don’t know they’ve got it – along with the attendant risks not only to their heart and arteries, but also to their brains, kidneys, and eyes.

Legislation

No updates this week

Resources and Upcoming Conferences

Now available - Aged Care Quality Reform Webinar

The recent webinar on key aged care quality reforms being implemented from 1 July 2019 is now available on the Department of Health’s website. The webinar included background and live question and answer sessions on the following topics:

  • Aged Care Quality Standards
  • Clinical Governance Framework
  • Open Disclosure Framework
  • Single Charter of Aged Care Rights
  • Strengthened regulations to minimise the inappropriate use of restraint
  • National Quality Indicator Program

This webinar was jointly presented by the Department of Health and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Aged Care and Elder Law Conference – 16-18 July 2019, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane

The Thomson Reuters Aged Care & Elder Law Conference series is taking place in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over 16-18 July 2019. The conference aims to address the key issues in legal, regulatory and compliance in aged care, retirement villages and senior living, including implications of the Royal Commission, navigating the new framework and Standards, workplace risks, responding to suspected elder financial abuse, and “being litigation ready”.

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About the Author

ACE Editorial Team

ACE is published by Ideagen. CompliSpace is Ideagen’s SaaS-enabled solution that helps organisations in highly-regulated industries to meet their governance, risk, compliance and policy management obligations.

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