Aged care news highlights from the week ending 19 April 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 peaks call on Government to fund $1.5 billion rescue package over next six months – or risk sector collapse

According to The Weekly Source, A group of seven major organisations has appealed to the Government to provide an extra $1.495 billion injection or face more providers going to the wall by June – just six weeks away. The groups – Aged & Community Services Australia, the Aged Care Guild, Anglicare Australia, Baptistcare Australia, Catholic Health Australia, Leading Age Services Australia and UnitingCare Australia – say this will work out as:

• $250 million-plus for home care (182 days at $10 per day for up to 150,000 people)
• $546 million for residential care (182 days at $15 per day for 200,000 people)
• $500 million pool of funds for information technology measures and training to reduce social isolation and loneliness
• Plus, the workforce fund, which will depend on the number of workers who need to isolate.

LASA cited the latest StewartBrown figures, which put the number of aged care homes operating at a loss at 56% – rising to 70% in regional and remote areas – to demonstrate the need for the funding boost.

Contingency measures to ensure continuity of aged care during COVID-19

According to The Department of Health, emergency contingency measures will ensure aged care recipients continue to get the care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Government today launches a joint strategy aimed at strengthening the workforce to ensure staffing gaps are filled. The measures include:

• New emergency response teams on standby if there’s a significant outbreak in a residential aged care facility;
• Remote locums to support aged care providers in remote Australia if they are unable to source staff; and
• Access to a surge workforce through the online platform Mable, to help providers if they’re unable to fill critical skills because of infection or staff have to self-isolate.

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said COVID-19 Age Care Support Program funding will also help approved aged care providers with the costs of hiring additional staff and covering workers who are required to self-isolate.

New aged care program targets unemployed

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, aged care peak body Leading Age Services Australia and training organisation Altura Learning have teamed up to train out-of-work staff from the tourism, hospitality, beauty and retail sectors to work in aged care. The national COVID-19 redeployment program aims to train and place large numbers of displaced workers to support the continuous care of aged care residents and clients. It involves a 10-hour online work-ready course for a new and temporary “aged care assistant” support role to help with meals, moving around, recreation and hair brushing. Participating organisations will receive support to ensure new workers provide high quality and safe services. LASA general manager of policy and advocacy Tim Hicks said the program is open to any aged care organisation needing replacement staff due to COVID-19.

Labor backs calls to expand eligibility for retention bonus

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Federal Opposition has added its voice to calls to extend the COVID-19 retention payment to all aged care facility staff in recognition for the work they are doing to keep residents safe. However, the government is not considering expanding eligibility beyond care staff in recognition of “the particular role they play,” the aged care minister tells Australian Ageing Agenda. The Federal Government announced a $235 million COVID-19 retention bonus on 20 March of $800 per quarter for two quarters “for direct care workers” in residential aged care, which is limited to nursing, personal care and allied health staff. Since the announcement provider and union representatives and aged care workers have called on the government to extend the bonus scheme to other facility staff including those working in laundry, cleaning, catering, administrative, leisure and maintenance roles. On Thursday, Shadow Minister for Ageing and Seniors Julie Collins added her voice to those calling the scheme unfair.

Older Australians less worried about coronavirus

According to Aged Care Insite, older Australians are less worried than younger people about coronavirus even though they will be worse off if they catch the disease. The latest polling from Essential Research shows two-thirds of Australians think they’re unlikely to contract the virus – more than a week ago – amid a flattening of the infection curve. But those aged older than 55 years were much more likely to think they wouldn’t get the virus – 74 per cent of this age group – compared to younger people. Two-in-five of those aged between 19 and 34 years thought it was likely they would catch it. The polling also found more than one-in-10 people were struggling with the isolation imposed through the social distancing rules and restrictions on travel and gatherings. The proportion of those struggling is almost double for younger people.

New COVID resources for aged care staff

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, new resources for advance care planning, using personal protective equipment and caring for people with dementia have been launched to support aged care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Palliative care specialists the End of Life Directions for Aged Care program and Advance Care Planning Australia are hosting a series of webinars this month for aged care staff and other health professionals.
• The Department of Health has launched a new flowchart to help aged care staff know when to use personal protective equipment in aged care.
• Dementia Training Australia has released a resources guide related to COVID-19 and a series of short online introduction courses on dementia.

How the aged care workforce and providers have adapted to the coronavirus

According to Aged Care Guide, as the restrictions and safety measures evolve, so too has the aged care industry, as they try their best to reduce the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak. While implementing measures to keep residents and staff safe, aged care providers have been going above and beyond to prepare their facilities for a potential COVID-19 outbreak, and staff have been provided with new materials and training in preparation for if that does happen.

PHNs to contact aged care facilities about flu jabs

According to Aged Care Insite, the government has asked Primary Health Networks (PHN) across Australia to help residential aged care providers dole out flu vaccinations. Minister for Aged Care Richard Colbeck announced that PHNs will get in contact with providers to undertake a needs assessment and coordinate influenza vaccination programs for those services with an identified need. Colbeck said COVID-19 has made vaccines for staff and residents critical for this year’s flu season. “This health emergency is unprecedented and as we edge closer to winter we want to make sure staff and residents have the protection of the flu vaccination,” he said.

COVID-19: Can a nurse legally refuse to work?

This article from Aged Care Insite explores the complex question of whether a nurse legally refuse to work.

PM accuses aged care worker of lying to contact tracers

According to Aged Care Insite, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused an aged care worker of lying about their contacts after testing positive for COVID-19. Last week, the Tasmanian government closed two hospitals because of a case of coronavirus putting at least 1200 hospital staff – and their households of about 4000 people – placed into quarantine for two weeks as a “super clean” of the facilities is undertaken. The North West Regional Hospital and North West Private Hospital in Burnie were closed. Speaking to Triple M Hobart, the prime minister said it was a classic case of why more rigorous contact tracing was needed.

Coronavirus testing underway at Tassie facilities

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, staff and residents at three aged care facilities in north-west Tasmania will undergo testing for COVID-19 today, the Federal Government has announced overnight. The announcement follows confirmation from the Tasmanian Government that contact tracing from the North West Regional Hospital and Private Hospital had identified a healthcare worker who also worked at three aged care facilities. The worker tested positive to the virus on Thursday 16 April. Minister for Aged Care Richard Colbeck said the government would have teams on site at each facility to start testing all residents and workers on Friday 17 April.

PPE Resources Pack

(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 addition to the PPE flowchart/poster we distributed last week, today there are two new resources designed to assist aged care workers and clients in aged care settings. The PPE Resources Pack contains:

• Information for in-home care clients – “Its ok to have home care” - is designed so carers can print off and distribute before entering their clients home to reassure them that it is ok to continue to receive care.
• Flowchart/poster that can be sent or distributed to you workforce on when to use PPE in aged care settings.
• PPE video which provides a demonstration on how to appropriately use PPE, is also a good resource to distribute to your networks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Workforce Support

(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, detailed FAQs are available to assist providers to understand what support is available when and the eligibility criteria for each measure.  This follows on from yesterday’s item regarding the further rollout of the Government’s workforce support measures. The FAQs cover:

• Temporary Surge Workforce Support
• Emergency Response Teams (ERT)
• Remote Locum Workforce Support
• COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program

In relation to the COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program, the grant is open now and the application form can be accessed on GrantsConnect.

Dementia: Free, Fast Information and Training

(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, it’s important that the health and aged care workforce feel well informed, safe, and educated during COVID-19. To help ensure people living with dementia receive high quality support, Dementia Training Australia has produced two new resources:

• COVID -19 An Informative Resources Guide : practical information links on COVID-19 including tips for supporting people with dementia.
• Dementia Discovery: micro-courses (as quick as 15 minutes) giving introductory level education about dementia, including communication strategies in care settings.

Other News

Frailty an issue for middle-aged Australia

According to Aged Care Insite, signs of pre-frailty are emerging in the middle-aged at almost the same rate as older Australians, a new study has found. The research looked at more than 650 people in various age groups in Adelaide and found that 45 per cent of those aged 40 to 49 were showing signs of pre-frailty, about the same percentage as those aged 70 to 75. “You don’t have to be in your 70s or 80s to be heading down the path to frailty. Age doesn’t matter,” Flinders University’s chair of restorative care in ageing Sue Gordon said. “Successful healthy ageing interventions and self-management should commence in at least the fourth decade of life, focusing on these factors which contribute to pre-frailty and frailty.”

Managing violence in healthcare settings

According to Hospital and Healthcare, violence against healthcare professionals is on the rise and is believed to be linked to the increasing popularity of violence-inducing drugs and the growth in patients presenting with acute mental health problems. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), 75% of workplace assaults happen in healthcare settings. A staggering 47% of physicians have been physically assaulted at work and 50% said that other patients have also been harmed.

Legislation

Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Prescriptions) Regulation 2020 (NSW) – commenced 17.04.20

The objects of this Regulation are to:

• provide for prescriptions for restricted substances issued by medical practitioners and nurse practitioners to be sent to pharmacists by email or facsimile for 12 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and
• include new prescribed restricted substances, and
• exempt hospitals from current storage requirements for those new substances for 12 months.

Resources and Upcoming Events

The Gaps in Infection Control Plans that can put Residential Aged Care Facilities at Risk – Webinar – 22.04.20, 2.00pm-3.00pm AEST

According to CompliSpace, in this FREE webinar, you will learn:

• how your COVID-19 infection prevention control systems – and outbreak management plan – relate to other key areas of operational risk and compliance
• which of these interrelated areas are most often missed by residential aged care facilities, and what are the potential risks and consequences
• the role of active surveillance and risk management in identifying gaps and areas to improve
• how to stay on top of change and adapt quickly to best practice updates and new legislative requirements
• how to efficiently and cost-effectively keep up with continual change so that your systems and processes produce the outcomes needed now and in the future.

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.

Quality Indicators (QIs) pilot – specific service types invited to participate

The Department of Health has engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to assist in the development and pilot to trial the new QIs relating to:

• medication management
• falls and fractures.

To ensure the pilot captures the views and experiences of residential aged care services nationally, the department would like to strongly encourage the following services to take part:

• Services operating in Queensland or remote areas
• Smaller services (less than 50 residential aged care places)
• Previous QI Program pilot participants
• Private (for profit) or State Government services.

Participation in the pilot is an opportunity for your service to trial and provide feedback on these indicators ahead of the implementation of the additional QIs from 1 July 2021. The pilot will commence in February 2020, please register your interest by 27 January 2020.

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?

Financial Transformation in Aged Care Conference – 29-30 April 2020, Sydney (Live Stream Online)

Criterion Conferences is hosting a live streamed Financial Transformation in Aged Care Conference. Developed in partnership with COTA Australia and ACSA, this event is your opportunity to voice your concerns, strategise with leading providers, and actively engage in dialogue that will build a stronger, sustainable future for your organisation and the industry.

2^nd Governance in Aged Care Conference – 20-21 May 2020, Doltone House Hyde Park Sydney (Live Stream Online)

According to Criterion Conferences, the 2nd Governance in Aged Care conference has been developed in partnership with COTA Australia and ACSA to support you to effectively lead and govern your aged care service into the future. You will walk away with a deeper understanding of what good governance structures and culture looks like in practice, and how you could apply this to your own organisation.