Aged care news highlights from the week ending 19 August 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

Report slams aged care Covid vaccine rollout

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, under the former Morrison Government, the Department of Health’s implementation of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout to priority groups – such as aged care residents – was slow and ineffective, according to an Auditor-General’s report released this week. “While 90 per cent of the eligible Australian population was vaccinated by the end of 2021, the planning and implementation of the vaccine rollout to priority groups was not as effective,” reads the 112-page report.

Other News

Half of Australia’s aged care workforce plan to quit by 2026: report

According to Aged Care Insite, up to 139,000 aged care workers intend to leave the industry within the next three years according to a new workforce survey, with many staff holding serious doubts about incoming reform. The CompliSpace Aged Care Workforce Report was published on Monday and surveyed 1110 staff from 300 aged care services across Australia. It found the overwhelming majority of workers cited stress as a main reason to quit, with 89 per cent agreeing they would only stay because of their relationships with residents and families.

See also: Australian Ageing Agenda: One in two staff set to quit sector.

Providers taken through design of new star-rating system

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the delivery of Australia’s star-ratings system for residential aged care is near but the sector can expect refinements and improvements over the next five years, providers have heard in an industry webinar this week. The star-rating system, which was a recommendation of the royal commission, aims to give older Australians and their family members a better way to understand information on the quality of the aged care services they are considering or receiving.

Consumer Experience Interviews – act now

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, Consumer Experience Interviews are underway, due for completion by 31 October 2022. The information collected from Consumer Experience Interviews will contribute to facilities’ Star Ratings, due to be published in December 2022. Non-participation will lead to a low score.

Residential aged care services are being contacted to schedule a date for interviews. All interviews must be scheduled by 16 September 2022 in order to participate in the 2022 CEI program. Please be responsive to requests from IQVIA and avoid rescheduling to ensure participation.

More information about the Consumer Experience Interviews can be found here.

More information about the program can be found on the department’s website.

Services Australia Aged Care Payment System updates – Payment and error message and education resources

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, this is a reminder that the September advance was paid early, on 10 August 2022, to minimise potential financial impacts. Additionally, please note that as of 11 August 2022, the Aged Care Provider Portal (ACPP) is view-only until 19 August 2022 inclusive. You will receive the error message below if you attempt to make an update on the ACPP:

Error: There was a problem with your submission. The following error(s) occurred:
User xxxxx is not authorised to use this OData service for update

For more information see Changes to residential aged care claiming (servicesaustralia.gov.au)

Services Australia is upgrading their Aged Care Payment System (ACPS) on 20 August 2022. To support this upgrade, a number of resources on the NEW ACPS for residential aged care is now available on the Health Professionals Education Resources Gateway.

Emergency Leave - new claim type 

(Note: this excerpt is from the Department of Health and Aged Care newsletter. We cannot provide a link to the full version of this story until the Department uploads it to their website.)

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, emergency leave was introduced in 2020 and can only be used in emergency situations, as declared by the Department of Health and Aged Care. Providers continue to be paid residential care subsidy for those residents on emergency leave. Until now, the social leave event type has been used to claim emergency leave.

A new emergency leave claiming type will become available in the Aged Care Provider Portal when the new Aged Care Payment System is upgraded on 20 August 2022. After this date, the social leave event type will no longer be able to be used for claiming emergency leave. For queries on claiming for emergency leave please contact Services Australia on 1800 195 206 or email: aged.care.liaison@servicesaustralia.gov.au For more information on the COVID-19 emergency leave provision see the updated fact sheet: COVID-19 Information for residential aged care providers – emergency leave

The ‘hidden epidemic’ of chronic wounds in aged care

According to Aged Care Insite, an Australian peak body is using Wound Awareness Week (15–21 August) to push for the government to start recognising wound-related harm in aged care. Advocacy organisation Wounds Australia has said the federal government is sleeping on the job while 350,000 older people suffer daily from chronic wounds.

Uptake of tech crucial for sector reform

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a much deeper and system-wide adoption of person-centred technology is critical to transforming Australia’s aged care system, according to a report. Released by the RMIT University’s Health Transformation Lab, which is funded by technology giant Cisco, the report – Transforming Aged Care – emphasises how using technology to automate and streamline non-care duties will vastly improve the quality of aged care by freeing up workers’ time, an enormous amount of which is spent on non-care tasks.

Aged care funding major concern to Australians

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, improving funding of aged care remains a top priority for the majority of Australians, a new poll finds. According to the Essential Poll, 70 per cent of Australians think it’s important that the next federal budget includes increased funding for aged care.

Peak says allied health can’t thrive under current policy

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, peak body Allied Health Professions Australia insists it is impossible for allied health to thrive and meet royal commission recommendations under residential aged care’s new funding model and current policy.

Legislation

No significant developments this week.