Aged care news highlights from the week ending 23 June 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.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, residential aged care providers can still apply for funding to support registered and enrolled nurses to complete specialist IPC Lead Nurse training until 30 June 2023. Find out more about this Grant Opportunity: Aged Care Infection Prevention and Control Training (GO5867) on the GrantConnect website.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, on 4 May 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved a combination rapid antigen test (RAT) kit TouchBio RSV, FLU A/B & Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Combo for self-testing (ARTG 408459) to aid in the diagnosis of COVID-19, Influenza A, Influenza B and RSV. Details about the kit can be accessed on the TGA website and includes instructions for use. The NMS will continue to support residential aged care homes with deployments of RATs to test for, and detect, COVID-19 in line with Australian Government policy. If aged care providers would like a RAT with additional testing capabilities then these should be sourced through commercial supply arrangements.
According to Aged Care Insite, the submission process for the comprehensive White Paper is in full swing as Australia seeks to address the financial challenges plaguing its aged care system. The Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) recently took the initiative to draft a white paper that will advise the Albanese Government on funding aged care for the next three decades.
According to Aged Care Insite, Australians won't be given a new time frame for the introduction of 24/7 nurses onsite in aged care homes after Labor conceded the July 1 deadline would be 'impossible to meet.' On Sunday, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said she was working to fulfil Labor's election promise to have around-the-clock nursing care in every facility 'as soon as possible.'
According to Inside Ageing, aged care providers have learnt that the increase in funding they will receive next financial year will be insufficient to cover the increase in their wage bill. Yesterday’s webinar by the Department of Health and Aged Care provided details about funding the wage rise, with multiple questions from providers asking whether there would be an adjustment to cover the 5.75% increase in award wages – taking effect from July 1, 2023.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, a webinar on the aged care wage increase was held on Thursday 15 June. The slides from this presentation can be found on the department’s website. Anika Wells, Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport has also written to providers about the Australian Government’s $11.3 billion investment to fund the Fair Work Commission’s decision of a 15% increase to the award wages of many aged care workers.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the new Quality Indicator application on the Government Provider Management System (GPMS) will go live in July. A GPMS profile will automatically be created for all existing users of the quality indicator reporting function in the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal. The function within My Aged Care will be decommissioned at this time. This means all quality indicator data for Quarter 4 2022-23 is to be submitted in GPMS by Friday 21 July. Resources are available to support your preparation:
If you require assistance, please call the My Aged Care Provider and Assessor Helpline on 1800 836 799.
According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the number of complaints about aged care services continues to rise while the number of providers failing to comply with standards continues to fall, according to the quality commission’s latest performance report.
According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the implementation of the new funding model is having a temporary impact on the operating performance for residential aged care, according to the latest industry report. The Australian National Aged Care Classification – which replaced the Aged Care Funding Instrument in October last year – resulted in a transition benefit of $13.72 per bed per day for the December 2022 quarter and $8.65 per bed per day for the March 2023 quarter.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Department of Health and Aged Care has assessed all grant applications for Round 1 of the Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment (GO5820). Most providers should have received a grant agreement. Please sign your agreement as soon as possible so payment can be provided. A representative of the department will call each application contact to assist with signing and returning the agreement. If you have not yet received your grant agreement or have any questions, please contact ACRNpayment@health.gov.au Include your application reference number with your contact details.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, do you provide specialised services for people with diverse backgrounds and life experiences? If so, you’re encouraged to apply to have this specialisation verified and reflected on My Aged Care, in line with the My Aged Care Provider Specialisation Verification Framework.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Aged Care Provider Workforce Survey is currently underway. Selected providers needing assistance to complete the survey can contact the helpline on 1800 800 996 (free call 9am–8.30pm AEST weekdays) or email acpws@srcentre.com.au It is mandatory for selected providers to complete the survey, and it is not too late to volunteer to be part of the project. Providers interested in completing the survey can email acpws@srcentre.com.au The survey is open until 30 June 2023. Visit the SRC website for more information.
According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a new global consortium has formed to advocate for the wider adoption of small household models of residential aged care. Australia’s HammondCare, the United Kingdom’s Belong group and The Green House Project in the United States of America have united as founding members of the Household Model International Consortium to promote the benefits for residents living in small-scale congregate settings.
According to Australian Ageing Agenda, more investment is needed if Australia is to fully embrace the small household model of care, an industry event has heard.
According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the first workers from Papua New Guinea drafted to help boost staff numbers in Australian aged care homes have arrived in Queensland. Employed by Southern Cross Care Queensland under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, the nine women will be based in facilities in Chinchilla, Murgon and Taroom.
According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, emergency leave for permanent aged care residents has been extended for 6 months. This means residents who wish to temporarily relocate during COVID-19 outbreaks can continue to use emergency leave instead of social leave through to 31 December 2023. Aged care homes will still be paid residential care subsidy when residents are on emergency leave. Providers are reminded that an emergency leave claiming type is now available in the Aged Care Provider Portal. This means the social leave event type can no longer be used for claiming emergency leave. For general claiming and payment assistance contact Services Australia on 1800 195 206 or aged.care.liaison@servicesaustralia.gov.au.
For information on emergency leave see:
According to Community Care Review, home care providers’ profit margins have decreased, according to the sector’s latest financial report. Released last week, the Quarterly Financial Snapshot – October to December 2022 showed profits dipping by $1.41 – $3.59 per recipient per day compared to $5.00 July to September ‘22.
According to Community Care Review, the second postponement of the Support at Home program is stalling the industry, according to a new report. Home care providers are “performing in a climate of operating issues,” say the authors of Stewart Brown’s Aged Care Financial Performance Survey Report for the nine months ending 31 March 2023.
No significant developments this week.