Aged care news highlights from the week ending 26 November 2021, 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

My Aged Care Reporting Webinar 3 December

According to the Department of Health, over the coming weeks, the Staff Vaccination Support Service (SVSS) will be running two FREE webinars to support providers with worker vaccinations and the reporting of them. The SVSS project is led by Leading Age Services Australia and Aged and Community Services Australia.

My Aged Care Reporting - Virtual Tour of Vaccination Reporting

Friday 3 December, 12-1pm AEDT - Register Now

My Aged Care captures information on overall staff, the number of workers who have received a single or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and the number of workers with authorised exemptions under public health directions.

In this webinar attendees will be given an overview of workforce vaccination requirements and a virtual guided tour of My Aged Care as the repository of data. It will include information about what to include, where, when and how.

Inexperienced staff took over during outbreak, inquiry hears

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, there were brief handover periods to inexperienced staff, infection control breaches and missed meals and medications the day staff at St Basil’s Home for the Aged were furloughed, a stood down team member has this week told an inquest into 50 deaths at the home.

Other News

Aged Care Alert: 2020-21 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997

According to the Department of Health, you can now view the 2020-21 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 (ROACA) on the GEN Aged Care Data website. Each year this report provides an important overview of Australia’s aged care system and details its operation over the previous financial year. This year’s ROACA also includes detail about the challenges faced by senior Australians and the aged care sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the critical interventions made by government to respond to those challenges.

Aged care advisory council gets underway

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Federal Government has established the national council to advise on aged care issues and reform almost five months after the start date projected in its response to the recommendations of the aged care royal commission. Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt and Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck jointly announced the 17 members of the National Aged Care Advisory Council on Wednesday.

Department of Health Aged Care Update

This edition of the Department of Health’s newsletter covers:

• Have your say: Developing aged care quality measures and Star Ratings
• Get involved: Providers invited to trial quality measures
• Have your say: New residential aged care design standards
• Webinar: Aged care funding reform, 1 December 2021
• Resources to help manage, re-engage and recruit volunteers
• Webinar: Employment of care and support workforce
• LGBTI aged care awareness training
• Aged Care Workforce Industry Council releases workforce insights
• Reminder: Buying or selling a service can impact resident fees

Providers told to prepare for tough decisions as they reform

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, residential aged care providers need make difficult decisions, look after their leaders and understand their consumers to ensure they position themselves for a sustainable future in quality care delivery, an industry conference has heard.

Peaks call for urgent action on workforce issues

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a coalition of aged care peak bodies is calling on the Federal Government to add aged care workers to the list of skilled occupations for migrants among six key points to address the sector’s workforce shortages.The Australian Aged Care Collaboration said the aged care sector was reaching crisis point as the availability of workers was low and the workforce under extreme pressure.

Nursing: 10-year plan to address workforce issues

According to Hospital and Healthcare, the federal government has commenced consultation to develop a new Nurse Practitioner 10-Year Plan with an aim to address workforce issues and enhance delivery of care.

Home care providers unable to take new clients because of staff shortages

According to Community Care Review, many home care services are unable to take on new clients because of acute workforce shortages, an aged care industry alliance says. The Australian Aged Care Collaboration says the workforce is at a crisis point and the situation is being made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, international border closures and competition for staff with vaccination clinics.

Aged care sector urges Government to implement rights-based Aged Care Act

According to Aged Care Guide, twenty-five aged care and community peak bodies are calling on the Federal Government to commit to implementing a rights-based Aged Care Act that incorporates older people's rights at its core to build on the Government’s current aged care reform agenda.

Legislation

No significant developments this week.