Aged care news highlights from the week ending 18 February 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

New factsheet: Australian Defence Force Support to Residential Aged Care Facilities

(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, a factsheet is now available to provide guidance to providers regarding the deployment of Australian Defence Force personnel to support residential aged care facilities impacted by COVID-19.

Interim Guidance on managing public health restrictions on residential aged care facilities

(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, Interim guidance has been endorsed by the National Cabinet, providing principles to support safe decision making on the application of public health restrictions on residential aged care facilities (RACF) managing a COVID‑19 exposure or outbreak.

As endorsed by AHPPC, each resident should have access to one Essential Visitor at all times (including during an outbreak or exposure). This includes partners in care, named visitors and dedicated volunteers. The expectation is that visitors use appropriate PPE and undertake basic infection prevention and control training and that facilities will support this training.

Interim Guidance on permissions and restrictions for workers in aged care

(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, Updated interim guidance has been endorsed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), aligning with the updated COVID-19 Test and Isolate National Protocols, which reduces the time required for isolation following contact. This interim guidance provides clear advice to the aged care sector on how they can use their workforce flexibly in order to manage critical workforce shortages. This includes clear criteria for aged care providers to allow a worker to continue to work if they have been exposed to COVID-19 but test negative, are asymptomatic and are willing to work. This also clarifies testing requirements following periods of isolation.

Boosters to be mandatory for all residential aged care workers across Australia

(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, on 10 February 2022, National Cabinet endorsed the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) recommendation to mandate COVID-19 booster vaccinations in residential aged care facilities.

All state and territory governments will implement this decision on mandatory booster doses for residential aged care workers consistent with arrangements already in place through state and territory public health orders and equivalent arrangements. Currently, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia have already mandated boosters as a condition of employment for residential aged care workers.

Rapid Antigen Test Kits – update on supply for residential aged care facilities

(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 now moving to a regular weekly forward deployment of RAT kits through the National Medical Stockpile. The first forward deployment commenced on 1 January 2022, and the second deployment commenced on 8 February 2022. The next deployment is due to commence on 14 February.

From 14 February 2022, RACFs will not be able to order RAT kits using the online form for PPE.  Outstanding orders will not be processed as we anticipate that requirements will be met by the weekly forward deployments. If you are an outbreak or exposure site with an urgent requirement for RATs, please contact your Commonwealth Case Management team.

Streamlined changes to reporting a COVID-19 outbreak or exposure in residential aged care

(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 28 February 2022, the department is streamlining how approved providers of residential aged care services report cases of COVID-19 to the Commonwealth.

New COVID-19 Support Portal

Providers will be able to report de-identified data on cases of COVID-19 outbreaks or exposure at a residential aged care facility via a new, online COVID-19 Support Portal, which will be accessed via the My Aged Care provider portal.

This portal will replace the current process of notification of a COVID-19 outbreak or exposure by emailing agedcareCOVIDcases@health.gov.au.

Up until Sunday 27 February 2022, providers will be required to continue to report COVID-19 cases to the Commonwealth by email, as well as to the relevant state or territory health department. 

Factsheet on managing your workforce affected by Omicron

(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, this factsheet gives providers practical advice on how to manage their workforce during an outbreak, including an expectation that providers exhaust all possible avenues before utilising Commonwealth funded workforce surge.

Updated: Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) COVID-19 Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities

According to the Department of Health, the updated guidelines reflect the impact of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, widespread community transmission in most jurisdictions and outbreaks in many residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

This guidance supports RACFs to take a more independent and proportionate approach in managing the risk of COVID-19. This includes balancing residents’ wellbeing, and recognising the detrimental effects of social isolation and inactivity.

Updated: First 24 hours checklist

According to the Department of Health, the checklist includes updated information from the previous First 24 Hours factsheet, aligning with the updated CDNA Guidelines and simplified into an easy to use and practical checklist format. The changes assist providers and their staff to quickly identify critical steps to manage a COVID-19 positive case or outbreak during the first 24 hours.

New visitor access guidelines to be national standard after Government endorsement

According to Aged Care Guide, the National Cabinet has endorsed new visitation advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) that will provide families improved access to visiting residents in aged care.

Single site workforce arrangements - update

According to the Department of Health, single site workforce arrangements are one of the many infection control measures which can help to limit transmission of COVID‑19. Hotspot and high-risk locations, declared by the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, activated Commonwealth support for the implementation of single site arrangements through the Support for Aged Care Workers in COVID-19 (SACWIC) grant.

SACWIC Activity periods associated with recent outbreaks ended as follows:

• South Australia ended on 3 August 2021
• Queensland ended on 8 August and 22 August 2021
• NSW and ACT ended on 15 November 2021
• Victoria ended on 31 July and 3 December 2021.

There are NO activity periods in place in 2022 at this time. Applications for the above activity periods close on 30 June 2022

Support implementing these arrangements

The SACWIC grant opportunity remains open to enable approved providers to seek reimbursement for out of pocket expenses associated with implementing these arrangements. Eligible providers are encouraged to consider the out of pocket costs they have incurred implementing these arrangements and apply for reimbursement where appropriate. Applications close at 2pm Canberra local time on 30 June 2022. To apply, complete the online grant opportunity application form available on GrantConnect (Grant Opportunity – GO4215). 

Updated Victorian Guidelines for Managing COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks: Actions for Residential Aged Care Facilities (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, updated guidelines released by the Victorian Government, Managing COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks, have been developed to provide Victorian RACFs with guidance on what public health actions they can take following a RACF COVID-19 outbreak or exposure. Key changes in this version of the Victorian guidelines relate to:

• A new definition of outbreak and exposure
• Changed requirements for managing exposures
• Updated quarantine and testing requirements for residents and staff
• Changes to requirements for notification to WorkSafe Victoria

Further information can be found on the Victorian Department of Health website.

Other News

Aged care providers, unions send PM open letter demanding action

According to Aged Care Insite, a joint open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the state of the aged care sector was published today by the Australian Aged Care Collaboration and several unions. The letter calls on the government to take action immediately to fix cracks in the aged care system that they say "are now being turned into chasms by the pandemic".

New report reveals ‘staggering’ future cost of Alzheimer’s disease

According to Aged Care Insite, a report released today by the University of Canberra’s National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) has predicted the future cost of Alzheimer's disease to the community to be $442 billion over the next 20 years.

Concerns that Religious Discrimination Bill could negatively impact older people

According to Aged Care Guide, peak body for older Australians, Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia has highlighted concerns the Religious Discrimination Bill could negatively impact older people, particularly those who receive in home care services.

Legislation

No significant developments this week.