Aged care news highlights from the week ending 19 May 2023, 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.

COVID-19 News 

No significant development this week.

Other News

Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement announced

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Government is helping aged care providers access overseas workers to address critical workforce shortages. The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement will allow aged care providers to use temporary and permanent sponsored skilled visas to fill vacancies in key direct care occupations, including Nursing Support Workers, Personal Care Assistants and Aged or Disabled Carers. It will also provide workers hired under the Labour Agreement with a flexible 2-year pathway to permanent residence. You can find more information on the Department of Home Affairs’ website.

NP scheme aims to boost primary care support

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a new plan for nurse practitioners has been developed to enhance multidisciplinary, person-centred care in health and aged care settings, the government announced this week. Called the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan, the initiative “will offer a clear vision on how to better use nurse practitioners to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population,” according to a statement released from the office of Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney.

With only about 100 Nurse Practitioners working in aged care, how useful will the Govt’s new Nurse Practitioner program be?

According to The Weekly Source, the Federal Government has released its national Nurse Practitioner (NP) Workforce Plan, outlining ways to increase the number of services that can be delivered by NPs, increase community awareness about the services NPs can provide, and grow the NP workforce.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission launches new online IPC tool

The Aged Care Quality and safety Commission has released a new Infection and Prevention Control (IPC) tool. This tool can be used by both residential aged care providers and home service providers to help you easily and quickly access key pieces of information and reference materials on infection prevention and control, as you need them. The tool has an overview of the main aged care specific guidance documentation at both the Federal and State levels, with links to those documents. You can filter the links presented at the State or Territory level, based on the information and location which is most relevant to you.

Two days of solutions for better aged care

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, fresh, solutions-focused, positive and different. This sums up the overall feedback Australian Ageing Agenda heard at Facing the Future: Aged Care 2030 and Beyond – the inaugural conference of Aged Care Research & Innovation Australia.

Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, from 1 July 2023 the Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) will change to the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS). The Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme will provide the same invaluable friendship and companionship that CVS has offered for 30 years to older people who are feeling isolated and lonely. The Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme will expand to reach more people with a higher level of service support. Find out more about the program on the department’s website.

Volunteer feedback wanted as new visitor scheme nears launch

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, as Australia this week celebrates the millions of people who volunteer their time to help others, the government is surveying people about support and training for volunteers in aged care.

New unit to support good food in aged care

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, as part of the federal government’s budget commitment to improving food and nutrition in residential aged care, a new support unit will be established to offer providers advice. In last Tuesday’s budget, it was announced the $36-billion aged care package would include almost $13 million to lift the quality and nutritiousness of food served in aged care facilities and to enhance the dining experience. With that aim in mind, specialists will staff the Food, Nutrition and Dining Advisory Support Unit to link providers with support and education programs – including those run by accredited practicing dietitians.

Webinar: Dementia support services

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, join Swinburne’s Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults for its upcoming webinar on dementia support services on Friday 26 May at 4.45pm‑6pm AEST. This webinar is for people employed in aged care, as well as psychologists, social workers, counsellors and volunteers who work with older adults. Find out more information and register for the webinar.

National Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, Anglicare’s Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program equips those who support older people with the knowledge to help prevent suicide. The free national program includes a general suicide prevention online course followed by a workshop contextualising the training for older people. The 2 parts should only take a total of 3 hours to complete. The program is funded by the NSW and Australian governments. To be eligible, you need to be working with older people and have internet access. If you are interested, please email Anglicare at suicide.prevention@anglicare.org.au or visit the Anglicare website.

New fact sheet: Assessment pathways for aged care residents

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, a new fact sheet on Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) assessment pathways for an aged care resident is now available on the department’s website. This fact sheet informs providers of permanent residential aged care about the three AN-ACC assessment pathways for assessing and classifying:

• a new resident entering residential aged care for palliative care
• a current resident approaching imminent end of life due to an event
• a current resident experiencing natural decline over time.

The fact sheet explains the different requirements and timeframes for assessment and includes contact details for more information. Further information about AN-ACC Class 1 – admit for palliative care is available on the department’s website.

Practical steps for aged care providers to improve retention

According to Aged Care Insite, A new study has proposed practical steps aged care providers can take to improve the retention and attraction of workers. The Australian Aged Care Workforce Industry Council (ACWIC) surveyed over 172,000 aged care workers over three years, revealing 12 key insights into the workforce. ACWIC Interim Chief, Sarah McLelland, said the data showed that providers were thinking more creatively about addressing the workforce's supply challenges.

Aged care back-pays more than $3.5 million to 4,971 employees

According to The Australia Today, aged care services provider Uniting AgeWell Limited has back-paid staff more than $3.5 million including interest and superannuation and signed an Enforceable Undertaking (EU) with the Fair Work Ombudsman. The not-for-profit charitable organisation, wholly owned by the Uniting Church in Australia, self-reported its non-compliance to the regulator in September 2021 after discovering underpayments in a self-initiated review.

Home Care News

Another delay for home care program

According to Community Care Review, the new in-home care program will now commence on 1 July 2025 in response to stakeholder feedback and to allow time to further refine the design, the government has announced in this week’s budget. Subsequently, existing grant arrangements for the Commonwealth Home Support Program will be extended for a further 12 months to 30 June 2025.

Stakeholders urged for reform delay

According to Community Care Review, “We have to do it once and we have to do it well,” that was the key message on home care reform given to providers by the aged care minister last week.

Legislation

Health Care Decision Making Bill 2023 (No. 95 of 2023) [NT] – introduced 18 May 2023

A Bill for an Act to govern the making of health care decisions for adults with impaired decision making capacity, for the provision of urgent health care without consent to both adults and children and for related purposes.