Weekly Wrap 18 May 2021

18/05/21

Aged care news highlights from the week ending 18 May 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.

Budget

Once in a generation change for aged care in 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, this week, as part of the 2021-22 Budget, the Australian Government announced a $17.7 billion package of support for aged care in response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

The reforms will deliver respect, care and dignity for senior Australians, and place a critical focus on the quality and safety of care.

The reforms will be centred around 5 pillars to be delivered over 5 years:

Home care – supporting senior Australians who choose to remain in their home
Residential aged care services and sustainability – improving and simplifying residential aged care services and access
Residential aged care quality and safety – improving residential aged care quality and safety
Workforce – supporting a growing and better-skilled care workforce
Governance – new legislation and stronger governance.

What do the reforms mean for aged care workers and providers?

The reforms will grow a skilled, professional and compassionate aged care workforce, which will be the powerhouse of the Government’s reform agenda. There will be financial support for registered nurses and a focus on upskilling new and existing care workers.

Our aged care workforce will be a critical partner with Government in delivering the reforms.

There is additional funding to increase the amount of front line care for senior Australians in residential care through mandated care minutes. There will be 80,000 additional home care packages for those who choose to stay in their own home.

More information

We will keep you up to date as work progresses on these important reforms.

You can read more about the reforms at www.health.gov.au/aged-care-reforms.

You can also read the Australian Government’s response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety at www.health.gov.au/aged-care-royal-commission.

Budget 2021: what they said

According to Aged Care Insite, the most significant budget for a generation was handed down this week. The figures announced in the budget for the sector have left some commentators unexcited, so what do the main players in the aged care sphere think of the package which, in the words of Aged Care Minister Greg Hunt, will "ensure senior Australians have access to high quality and safe care services, are empowered to have more control and choice in their care arrangements and are treated with dignity and respect"?

Budget measures welcome, but more to do, stakeholders say

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, many aged care stakeholders welcome the Federal Government’s $17.7 billion aged care budget, saying it finally addresses many of the sector’s top issues. However, the budget measures have disappointed workforce stakeholders, who say the government’s commitment falls short. The budget handed down by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Tuesday night provided almost $8 billion over four years to reform residential aged care in response to the recommendations in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Govt says no to aged care levy

According to Community Care Review, the government has accepted 130 of the 148 recommendations made by the aged care royal commission and rejected six, including funding the system via an aged care levy. Twelve recommendations remain under consideration. The government’s five-year $18 billion plan for aged care reform, to be introduced in three phases, was detailed in the federal budget handed down on Tuesday. In a separate document providing a point-by-point response to each of the royal commission’s recommendations, the government rejects calls to establish or investigate a Medicare-style levy to finance aged care, with Mr Hunt telling reporters on Budget night that aged care reforms will be funded through revenue within the budget.

Funding reform absent from Budget

According to Inside Ageing, a headline Budget figure of $17.7 billion across five years committed to aged care sounds impressive but dig down and little consideration has been given to the operators or funding reforms that will attract investment in the sector.

Ballooning NDIS gets $13m in budget

According to Community Care Review, the federal government has provided an additional $13.2 billion over four years for NDIS disability supports with the government warning the scheme is growing at a rate beyond what was initially calculated. Handing down the budget on Tuesday night, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the NDIS has improved the lives of people with disability and their families but must remain sustainable. “As the scheme reaches its maturity our focus is on ensuring its sustainability and that it continues to deliver a high quality essential service for those who need it,” he said.

Govt favours Briggs’ leadership model

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the government has responded to the royal commission’s final report with a three-phase five-year $18 billion plan for aged care reform, which accepts 126 of the 148 recommendations and rejects six. The government supports an alternative on four of the commissioners’ recommendations while 12 are under consideration, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, aged care minister Greg Hunt and minister for aged care services Richard Colbeck said in a joint statement released on Budget night. “This once‐in‐a‐generation opportunity to confront the inadequacies in aged care will bring real change to the system,” the trio wrote in the response.

Key workforce issues remain despite aged care budget

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, aged care CEOs and other stakeholders welcome the aged care funding in the budget but raise concerns over wages and the availability of staff to meet new care requirements. A consultant calls the government’s deferral to the Fair Work Commission for responsibility over wage increases a joke while an academic says there are insufficient nurses to meet the new standard because government policy has depleted the industry.

Advocates welcome “comprehensive” dementia measures

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the $229 million Federal Budget commitment to improve dementia care addresses many of the elements needed to support aged care recipients, dementia advocates tell Australian Ageing Agenda. Overall measures to improve dementia care in the $18 billion aged care package Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced on Tuesday evening and respond to 40 recommendations of the aged care royal commission. Funding in the budget goes towards more support at dementia diagnosis, assessment and care planning, dementia referral pathways, improving connections between services to support access.

Allied health a “real loser” in budget

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the government’s plans to fund allied health through the new residential aged care funding model is welcome, but there is not enough allocated in this Federal Budget to do it, an expert has told Australian Ageing Agenda.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 News

Confusion over COVID-19 vaccine timeline continues, minister Colbeck enters the fray

According to Aged Care Insite, Australians were never expected to have two COVID-19 doses before the end of 2021, Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck says. The development comes as Moderna has also announced it will supply 25 million vaccines doses to Australia under a new supply deal. Confusion continues over the vaccine timeline after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Tuesday handed down the federal budget, which was based on the assumption that a “population-wide vaccination program” would likely be in place by the end of the year.

Updated advice for ACT and NSW 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:

Australian Capital Territory

On 12 May 2021, the ACT Chief Health Officer updated ACT COVID-19 advice to include Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Greater Melbourne (from 5 May 2021) as geographical areas of risk, in addition to Greater Sydney LGAs, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong.

Visitors are restricted from entering an aged care facility if they have been in a geographical area of risk in the last 14 days. ACT aged care providers can find out more information on the ACT Government website.

New South Wales

The screening advice for residential aged and home care services has been updated to include LGAs of Greater Melbourne as interstate places of high concern from 6am on 12 May 2021.

Visitors must not enter residential aged facilities if they have been to identified close or casual contact locations in NSW or Interstate places of high concern. NSW aged care providers can find out more information on the NSW Health website.

State and territory aged care COVID-19 information

(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, as the COVID-19 situation can change rapidly, aged care providers are reminded to stay up to date on visitor restrictions, PPE requirements and other measures relating to COVID-19 in aged care, from their relevant state or territory website below:

PPE

Aged care providers are asked to ensure they have a sufficient supply of PPE, to use their own supply of PPE first and to request extra supply as and when needed. If you urgently need PPE and cannot source it, please submit an online application. The application will need to be completed for your request to be considered. The Commonwealth is prioritising requests for PPE from the National Medical Stockpile to aged care services that are most in need.

Further information and advice

Please visit the Australian Government Department of Health 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.

Other News

Research backs Uniting’s homelike person-centred care model

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a household model of person-centred care is proving to give Uniting NSW ACT residents more control over their day-to-day lives. The model, which the provider has been progressively rolling to its 72 residential aged care homes since 2015, focuses on giving residents greater freedom to make their own choices, such as meal times, throughout the day in smaller households of 18 to 20 people. Uniting NSW ACT engaged University of Technology Sydney to evaluate the household model at 12 metropolitan and regional facilities, which transitioned to the approach between 2015 and 2019. Uniting NSW ACT executive manager practice excellence Lana Richards, who will discuss the model and evaluation at next week’s ACSA National Online Summit, said the organisation has successfully translated person-centred care into practice and at scale.

National Volunteers Week 17‑23 May: celebrating CVS volunteers

(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, in honour of National Volunteers Week, the Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) would like to recognise the many thousands of volunteer visitors across Australia making a difference to the lives of older Australians.

The CVS arranges volunteer visits to older people accessing residential or home care services (including those waiting for services) who may be lonely or socially isolated. These regular visits provide important friendship and companionship to the older person, and can be incredibly fulfilling for the volunteer visitor, often leading to lifelong friendships.

Join us in celebrating our CVS volunteers by listening to the stories below:

We thank all our volunteers for their time, commitment and dedication to improving the lives of older Australians.

To register interest in arranging for a visitor, or volunteering for the scheme, get in touch with a CVS State Network Member.

Vision Australia webinar, 1 June: understanding low vision and blindness

(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, people with vision loss are three times more likely to suffer depression and twice as likely to experience a decrease in social independence. Vision Australia is hosting a webinar that will help you learn how you can support aged care clients to live more independently and continue doing the things they love. If you work as a Regional Assessment Service (RAS) or Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessor, this session will build your knowledge and confidence to discuss relevant supports and goals with vision impaired clients when completing assessments.

The webinar will cover:

common eye conditions and their impact on vision
impacts of vision loss on daily living activities
daily living strategies, aids and equipment useful for people with blindness or low vision
selecting the relevant service types when referring vision impaired clients for appropriate services.

Date: Tuesday 1 June 2021

Time: 12-1pm AEST (10-11am in Perth)

Health professionals may be eligible for Continuing Professional Development points when attending this session.

Register for the webinar and you will be sent a login link. Please share this invitation with colleagues who may also be interested in attending.

If you have questions about the webinar or need further information, call Denise Pellow on 1300 847 466.

Staying connected for veterans 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, veterans often value a strong emotional and social connection with their particular ex-service organisation (ESO) and/or association. Many veterans have been connected to their organisation for a long time, helping them maintain good mental health and well-being.

The department would like to remind providers that in the aged care setting, this support can continue. ESOs and associations can provide information, support, visits and referrals to veterans, war widow(er)s, or members of the veteran community who are living in residential aged care.

ESOs can help your residents, and they can help you help your residents, by:

spending time with them, continuing to provide the peer support they are familiar with
providing information and supporting them to access their DVA entitlements
connecting the resident with other veteran specific support services if needed
helping staff understand the veteran’s background and specific support needs.

There are many ESO organisations, including the TPI Federation Australia, and RSL groups across Australia. These groups do reach out to aged care homes directly to arrange a visit, so please welcome them. Otherwise, you can help your residents make a request, or make contact on their behalf to request a visit. The Community Visitors Scheme also has volunteers who visit lonely or socially isolated people in aged care.

Supporting veterans in this way is also linked to the diversity action plans and Quality Standards:

Connecting with other services is a ‘Moving Forward’ action to providing safe, accessible care in the Shared actions to support older diverse older people: a guide for aged care providers.

Creating a culture of inclusion and respect, where residents can maintain their identity is central to Quality Standard 1. Partnering with residents in their in care is in Quality Standard 2. Connecting with other organisations that are important for residents’ well-being is in Quality Standard 4.

For questions or more information, contact ageing.and.diversity@health.gov.au

Reminder: 2021 influenza vaccinations

(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, aged care providers must be prepared for the 2021 influenza season and to have ordered vaccines for their staff. Influenza vaccination is more important than ever in aged care given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

State and territory directions remain in force and set out requirements about visitors to, and entry into residential aged care facilities, including requirements around influenza vaccinations.

This year it is important to plan vaccination timing for both influenza and COVID-19 to give the best protection against these potentially serious diseases. Advice on the timing of administering both vaccines is now available in the Statement on the relative timing of administering influenza vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines in 2021.

More information on the 2021 influenza vaccination is available at:

Queensland aged care facilities: update to influenza vaccination requirements

(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 Queensland Chief Health Officer has approved a revised start date of 30 May 2021 for the influenza vaccination requirement in the Aged Care Direction (No.27).

This means that anyone seeking to enter a residential aged care facility from 30 May 2021 must have had the 2021 influenza vaccination, if it is available to them.

Further details are available on the Queensland Health website.

Quality indicator in focus: Falls and major injury

(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, new and updated quality indicators will be included in the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) from 1 July 2021.

Falls and major injury will be included in the QI Program as a new quality indicator, comprising two categories:

percentage of care recipients who experienced one or more falls
percentage of care recipients who experienced one or more falls resulting in major injury.

This quality indicator is collected through a review of care records every quarter, for each care recipient. The first quarter of data collection starts from 1 July 2021 and is reported in the 1‑21 October 2021 reporting period.

Approved providers must collect and report on falls and major injury data quarterly, according to the requirements set out in the QI Program Manual 2.0 Part A available on the department’s website.

Legislation

No significant developments this week.

Resources and Upcoming Events

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.

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?

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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