Aged care news highlights from the week ending 23 September 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.

COVID-19 News

COVID-19 advice for people in residential aged care facilities and visitors

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, in general, people visiting or working in a residential aged care home should not attend if they are completing isolation following a positive COVID-19 test or if they have any respiratory symptoms regardless of test results.

The AHPPC has provided advice on visitation for residential aged care facilities during COVID-19. State and territory governments have given effect to this AHPPC advice in the context of local conditions and circumstances. Facilities in all states and territories must follow directions on entry restrictions to residential aged care. Find them in the following links:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania 
• Victoria
• Western Australia

The aged care sector also has a detailed Industry Code for Visiting in Aged Care Homes which outlines how to support safe visitation including screening visitors for any infection risk and managing that risk.

ATAGI statement on defining 'up-to-date' status for COVID-19 vaccination

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends all individuals aged 16 years and over to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to maintain an “up-to-date” status. This booster dose is recommended from 3 months after the last primary dose. Further information is included in the ATAGI advice. 

RATs supply for surveillance and during outbreaks

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian Government is continuing to deploy weekly supplies of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits through the National Medical Stockpile (NMS) to all residential aged care facilities. The continued provision of RATs supply will allow workers and visitors to be screened for COVID-19 infection, before they contact vulnerable groups. When an outbreak occurs, RATs can be used for daily testing of workers and residents to help minimise spread of infections.

The current best practice advice from AHPPC is to conduct surveillance screening at least 2 times per week and not more than 72 hours apart for staff, or on entry for each visitor. This should increase to daily testing of residents, staff, and visitors during an outbreak.

WHO strongly advises against COVID-19 antibody treatment

According to Hospital and Healthcare, the antibody drugs sotrovimab and casirivimab-imdevimab are not recommended for patients with COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). These drugs work by binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, neutralising the virus’s ability to infect cells. The WHO Guideline Development Group of international experts’ strong recommendation replaces previous guidelines for their use and is based on emerging evidence from laboratory studies that these drugs are not likely to work against currently circulating variants, such as omicron.

Victorian Aged Care Response Centre Cessation 30 September 2022

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (VACRC) was established by the Commonwealth on 27 July 2020 in a partnership with the Victorian Government to coordinate a Whole of Government, Industry and State response to the threat of COVID-19 to the Aged Care environment.

After over two years supporting residents and their families in aged care respond to COVID-19, the VACRC will cease operations on 30 September 2022.

Further information on Australian Government supports is available on the Department’s website. From 30 September please contact VICTASCaseManagement@Health.gov.au if support is required.

Other News

Important update – New residential aged care quality indicators

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, we are supporting quality improvement and better health outcomes for older Australians in residential aged care by introducing additional quality indicators. The new quality indicators to be included in the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) are:

• activities of daily living
• incontinence care
• hospitalisation
• workforce
• consumer experience
• quality of life.

Detailed guidance and resources will be available by 1 October 2022 to support residential aged care providers with enhanced monitoring and reporting to drive quality improvement and greater transparency. Residential aged care providers should collect the new quality indicators as a routine part of quality care, prior to mandatory collection from 1 April 2023 and reporting to the department by 21 July 2023.

Providers will be supported in transitioning to the expanded QI Program with tailored resources and guidance materials. For more information, including the draft QI Program Manual, please visit the QI Program website.

Get ready for AN-ACC

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) replaces the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) on 1 October 2022, with the new funding arrangements to take effect automatically.

The department has developed a guide that sets out the steps residential aged care providers should take to prepare for AN-ACC. Following the tips set out in the Provider checklists for transitioning to AN-ACC will help ensure your organisation is ready for the new arrangements.

Advice to providers about payments from 1 October 2022 under AN-ACC

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the transition from the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) to the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) is automatic.

Services Australia will calculate and pay residential aged care subsidy to approved providers based on the new AN-ACC classifications, including default classifications, for residents from 1 October 2022.

The payment changes will be reflected in your October claim, once lodged, in November 2022.

Providers will continue to be paid residential aged care subsidies in advance on a calendar monthly basis. Advances are calculated on an aged care service’s entitlement for the period 2 months before the advance month. It is pro-rated for the number of calendar days in the advance month.

Services Australia will make any relevant adjustments once providers have lodged their claim for the month the advance was paid.

Advance notice: Registered Nurses’ Payment round

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Aged Care Registered Nurses’ Payment rewards clinical skills and leadership for registered nurses working for the same provider over an eligibility period. The eligibility periods for the first round of payments are:

• 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022
• 1 May 2022 to 31 October 2022.

Up to $6,000 is available for full-time registered nurses. Payments are also available for eligible part-time and casual workers on a pro-rata basis. Aged care providers can apply through a non-competitive grant round on behalf of eligible staff. A forecast opportunity has been released to help providers prepare for the grant opportunity. Find out more on the GrantConnect website.

Webinar: Upcoming changes to Specialisation Verification

The Department of Health and Aged Care is hosting a free webinar on 11 October 2022 from 1:00pm to 2:30pm AEDT for the aged care sector. This webinar will cover the Specialisation Verification Framework and upcoming application process improvements, including the:

• intent and scope of the Specialisation Verification Framework
• benefits for older people and providers in verifying specialisation claims
• new online application process for verifying specialisation claims via the My Aged Care (MAC) service and support portal
• appearance of verified specialisations on MAC versus unverified specialisations
• timeline for removing unverified claims from provider profiles on MAC (early-2023).

Register for the Specialisation Verification webinar.

You may submit questions during the webinar. If you are unable to attend, a recording will be available on the department’s website in the weeks afterwards.

Reminder: Aged Care Providers Financial Report

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, a reminder to aged care providers, the following reports are due soon:

• The Aged Care Financial Report (ACFR)for the reporting period 2021-22, is due on 31 October 2022.
• The first Quarterly Financial Report (QFR)for the reporting period 1 July 2022 to 30 September 2022 is due by 4 November 2022.

Submit your first QFR using the Forms Administration’s data collection portal. The portal will open on the 1 October 2022. Providers will receive notification emails when the portal is open. QFR reports received after 4 November will not be included in the Star Ratings process.

ANMF pushes for four-day working week

According to Aged Care Insite, the Victorian branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, in their submission to a federal parliament Senate committee, has called for a one-day reduction in the working week, or for a 32 hour week rather than 38.

Cheaper medications soon to be available for older Australians

According to Aged Care Guide, the Government intends to drop the price of medications on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from a maximum of $42.50 to just $30.

Have your say on aged care reforms

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Department of Health and Aged Care is seeking input on several of areas of aged care reform including preparedness, regulation, pricing and payments. Most of the open consultations respond to recommendations of the aged care royal commission and seek feedback from a range of the sector’s stakeholders.

Continence care pilot underway ahead of national rollout

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Continence Foundation of Australia has received Commonwealth Government funding of $3.3 million over two years to implement its solution for dignified continence care within aged care settings.

Legislation

Guardianship and Management of Property Amendment Bill 2022 [ACT] – presented to Assembly 21.09.22

This Bill will amend the Guardianship and Management of Property Act 1991 (GMP Act) to explicitly introduce the concept of supported decision-making as a consideration in decisions relating to the appointment of guardians and managers, and as a decision-making principle for guardians and managers, to encourage the use of supported decision-making where possible.

The Bill will amend the GMP Act to require that, before making a guardianship or management order, ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) consider whether a person is able to make their own decisions with available supports.