Major Aged Care Reforms in 2024: What to expect
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Weekly Wrap 29 June 2021

29/06/21
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Aged care news highlights from the week ending 29 June 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

 

National cabinet makes jabs compulsory for aged care workers and AstraZeneca available for all who want it

According to The Conversation, all workers in residential aged care facilities will be required to have at least a first COVID vaccination by mid-September under a decision at an emergency national cabinet meeting on Monday night.

 

NSW Advice to Residential Aged Care Facilities

According to NSW Health as of 26 June 2021:

Until further notice the Chief Health Officer advises the following:

Facilities located in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour)  must:

  • exclude all visitors, except those providing essential caring functions
  • ensure that all staff and essential care visitors wear a surgical mask. For reasons when masks can be removed please see Additional Advice. All essential visits must be in the residents room
  • ensure that residents are provided with appropriate PPE and infection control advice if they need to leave the facility for essential purposes

For all other facilities located in NSW:

  • All staff and visitors must wear a surgical mask. For reasons when masks can be removed please see Additional Advice.
  • Only two visitors should be allowed each day
  • Visits should be in the resident's room
  • No visitors are permitted from Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour)

There are new close and casual contact locations in Greater Sydney. There are current locations of interest in New Zealand. There are new close or casual contact locations in Queensland. The state of Victoria is currently considered an affected area and there are places of high concern

This information can change rapidly so please check the web at least daily for updates.

 

Single site funding support for COVID-19 impacted areas of New South Wales

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

According to the Department of Health, given the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Sydney, workers at residential aged care facilities in impacted areas are asked to limit their work to a single facility to reduce the risk of transmission and protect workers and residents. Australian Government grant funding is now available to support implementation of these arrangements during an initial two week period, from 23 June to 7 July.

Based on advice from the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, and in line with advice from the New South Wales Government, these arrangements are limited to residential aged care providers in the specified local government areas.

Providers in these areas are asked to adjust their rosters and ensure staff are only working at one residential aged care facility within this region during this time.

 

NSW Advice - In the event of an outbreak

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

According to the Department of Health, in the event of an outbreak in aged care, Australian Government Department of Health Case Managers would be allocated to any New South Wales residential aged care facility (RACF) experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. The Case Managers will work with the RACF to ensure:

  • Workforce capacity;
  • Application of infection prevention and control measures;
  • Adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE);
  • Waste procedures are in place, and
  • Communication with family and friends associated with the RACF residents.

Residential aged care providers need to remain alert and prepared for a potential outbreak of COVID-19 at their facilities. The department encourages you to be familiar with the measures you should have in place at all times to prevent and prepare for an outbreak and how to identify and manage an outbreak in residential aged care.

Please visit the our website for information and resources to assist in preparing and managing a COVID-19 outbreak, including what to do in thfirst 24 hours of an outbreak in a residential aged care facility.

 

NSW Advice – Who to notify if you have a confirmed cases

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

According to the Department of Health, all confirmed cases of a RACF resident or staff member in NSW must be notified to the NSW Department of Health on 1300 066 055. All aged care providers should also notify positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test results by email to the Australian Department of Health: agedcareCOVIDcases@health.gov.au.

 

NT - CHO announces lockdown

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

According to the Department of Health, please find attached CHO Directions (No.11) 2021: Directions for Aged Care Facilities, signed by the CHO at 3:36pm on 27 June 2021.

These Directions took effect upon signing. CHO Directions No.7 are revoked.

The main changes are to the Direction include:

  • No visitors are permitted to enter aged care facilities, unless attending for end of life support.
  • Persons who are permitted to enter are:
    • Workers
    • Persons providing goods or services necessary for the operation of the facility
    • Persons providing health, medical or pharmaceutical goods or services to a resident
    • Persons required for emergency management or law enforcement
    • A legal practitioner providing legal services to a resident regarding end of life matters if the services cannot be provided remotely.
  • Masks must be worn by workers on the premises and by residents who are outside of their room unless the resident has a medical reason not to wear a mask.
  • Residents and workers are subject to testing as required by the CHO.
  • Workers are prohibited from working at any other workplace.

There are other requirements in this direction which have been carried over from Directions No.7.

If you have symptoms regardless of where you are living, you are urged to get tested and stay isolated until you receive a negative result. This information can change rapidly so please check the NT Health website regularly for updates.

A 24-hour hotline has been established by NT Health to provide information about the lockdown arrangements: 1800 193 111.

 

WA Health - Restrictions announced

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

According to the Department of Health, the WA Perth and the Peel region will face a number of new restrictions for a minimum period of three days, starting from 12pm on Sunday 27 June 2021, read the Premiers media release.

Mask-wearing will be mandatory indoors, on public transport, and outside where physical distancing is not possible.

All these measures will be reviewed regularly and the Chief Health Officer will continue to monitor the serious situation and provide more ongoing advice. Visit WA Health website https://www.wa.gov.au for further information.

 

QLD Health updated advice

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

According to the Department of Health: COVID-19 Update for Residential Aged Care - Local government areas in NSW declared hotspots and escalation of PPE to Moderate Risk.

Local government areas in NSW declared hotspots from 10am Sunday 27 June, anyone who has been in any of the 35 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in NSW must follow the requirements of the Interstate Places of concern (stay at home in Queensland) Direction.

This means anyone in Queensland who has been to the LGAs in the Greater Sydney region (including Shellharbour, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong) on or after 1am AEST 21 June 2021 must follow the stay at home requirements for a period of 14 days since leaving the area.

Anyone in Queensland who has been to the City of Sydney, Randwick, Woollahra or Waverley LGAs on or after 11 June 2021 must continue to follow the stay at home requirements for a period of 14 days since leaving the area.

Escalation of PPE to Moderate Risk
To best protect vulnerable persons, as of 13.00 hours on 27 June 2021, the following Local Government Areas (LGAs) have now been determined by the Chief Health Officer to be in the "moderate" risk category for the purposes of PPE:

  • Sunshine Coast Region
  • City of Brisbane
  • City of Ipswich
  • Logan City
  • Moreton Bay Region
  • Redland City
  • Gold Coast City
  • Scenic Rim Region

Read the letter from the Acting Deputy Director-General about PPE escalation for these areas.

 

ACT Health CHO update

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

According to the Department of Health: please read the updated alert from the ACT Chief Health Officer regarding the COVID-19 situation for high risk settings, in summary, there are three main updates include:

  • Shellharbour has been included in the Stay-at-Home requirement that applies to anyone who has been in the Greater Sydney and surrounding area. Anyone who has been in the Shellharbour LGA on or after 21 June 2021 is also required to comply with stay-at-home requirements. Shellharbour has now been added to the list of geographical areas of concern.
  • A new Public Health Direction will come into effect at 11:59pm today (27 June) requiring face masks to be worn in certain public settings, including residential aged care facilities. This is in response to the risk posed by the NSW outbreak. Residents are not required to wear masks. Staff, visitors and volunteers will be required to wear a mask.
  • Three local government areas in Northern Territory have been added to the list of geographical areas of risk from 18 June.

Further information will be available about the mask-wearing requirement on the COVID-19 website.

The COVID-19 situation can change rapidly and as such, advice for high-risk settings is subject to change regularly. ACT Health will continue to update through these Chief Health Officer alerts.

 

Aged care faces workforce ‘exodus’ if jabs become mandatory

According to Aged Care Insite, one third of West Australian aged care workers would quit if the government mandates the COVID-19 vaccination, according to a survey conducted by the nursing union in the state. The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) state secretary Mark Olson said that forcing workers to get vaccinated could cause a "mass exodus" of staff in the sector, reports the ABC.

 

A third of aged care workers have received a COVID jab

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, around 85,000 residential aged care workers have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, data from the new mandatory provider reporting scheme shows. More than 90 per cent of residential aged care providers had reported the vaccine status of 258,408 aged care workers as at 23 June, a spokesperson from the Department of Health told Australian Ageing Agenda. This represents 2,599 out of 2,870 residential aged care services in Australia.

 

Other News

 

New Mandatory Quality Indicator Program Starts This Thursday, 1 July 2021

According to the Department of Health, from 1 July 2021, residential aged care providers are required to collect and report on 5 new quality indicators: pressure injuries, physical restraint, unplanned weight loss, falls and major injury, medication management.

 

New Restrictive Practices Requirements Start This Thursday, 1 July 2021

According to the Department of Health, the Aged Care and Other Legislative Amendment (Royal Commission Response No.1) Bill 2021 was introduced into Parliament on 27 May 2021 and makes changes to current aged care legislation. The Quality of Care Principles 2014 have also been revised and outline the detail of the amended requirements relating to the use of restrictive practices, including the limited circumstances where a restrictive practice can be used. The Bill passed Parliament on 24 June 2021 and is scheduled to commence 1 July 2021.

 

Aged Care Diversity Framework and Action Plans

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

According to the Department of Health, Australia is a diverse nation, and the need to provide safe, inclusive and respectful care that meets the needs of all older people is embedded in the Aged Care Quality Standards. The Aged Care Diversity Framework and action plans are available to help aged care providers deliver safe, inclusive and respectful care for people with diverse needs, characteristics and life experiences.

The action plans can help aged care service providers and older people address barriers faced by older:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
  • lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, and intersex (LGBTI) people.
  • There is also a shared action plan for providers to support all older people from diverse backgrounds.

Additionally, consumer action plans are available to help consumers from the above three groups understand how to express their needs when speaking to aged care providers. You can order free printed copies of the diversity framework and action plans in a variety of languages through National Mailing & Marketing. Quote the relevant product codes and quantities by:

For more information email ageing.and.diversity@health.gov.au

 

QI Program resources now available

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

According to the Department of Health, new resources for the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program) are now available on the department’s website:

  • A suite of information sheets is published, providing practical information and action items for clinical care teams, allied health professionals, consumers and their families, and board directors and senior executives.
  • Data recording templates can be used by services to collect quality indicator data and calculate totals, allowing quick and easy reporting through the My Aged Care Provider Portal.

BDF payment commences in August

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, aged care providers are set to start receiving the $10 boost to the daily subsidy for residents in early August, a government forum on aged care reforms has heard. The Department of Health held a webinar on aged care reforms on Tuesday to provide more detail on residential aged care measures announced in the 2021-22 Budget in response to the aged care royal commission recommendations. Among those changes is the $10 Basic Daily Fee Supplement from July 2021 to help providers pay for daily living services in exchange for committing to report quarterly on expenditure related to these services and particularly food.

 

Blood transfusions at home and in aged care are ‘safe and effective’

According to Aged Care Insite, the trend from hospital to home-based care, accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic, looks set to continue with the first evidence in Australia that regular blood transfusions can be safely performed by nurses in residential homes and aged care facilities. The joint study, undertaken by the University of South Australia, the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) and SA Health, investigated 1,790 blood transfusions involving 533 patients in homes and aged care centres across South Australia from 2004 to 2019. Lead researcher and lecturer in nursing at the University of SA Dr Rebecca Sharp says the study overwhelmingly supports home blood transfusions for medically stable patients.

 

Aged care reform webinars in June and July

According to the Department of Health, the department is holding webinars to share information about the aged care reforms announced in the 2021-22 Budget and in response to the Aged Care Royal Commission.

30 June webinar

This webinar about home care reforms will discuss establishing a single home care program, and how we can work together to help senior Australians to:

  • remain independent
  • live at home
  • connect to their community
  • Register for the webinar on the department’s website.

Watch previous webinars

If you missed the June webinars on:

  • residential aged care
  • information and communication technology (ICT)
  • reform overview

You can go to the department’s website and access the recordings in the ‘Previous webinars’ section.

July webinars

The July webinars will focus on how aged care reforms will improve:

  • access to culturally safe services and improving accessibility and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in aged care
  • the quality of life and care for people living with dementia
  • accessibility and outcomes for people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds

To find out more visit the department’s website.

 

Dementia practice health check     

According to Dementia Australia, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety called for increasing the capability and capacity of the workforce amid the findings demonstrating the quality of dementia care in the aged care system needs significant and immediate improvement.

Evaluate the dementia knowledge, skills and attitudes amongst your staff with the Dementia practice heath check, an online assessment tool for residential aged care homes. It identifies gaps in dementia knowledge and prioritises areas for improvement and staff development.

 

Legislation

 

Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 1) Bill 2021 [CTH] – passed 24 June 2021

The Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No.1) Bill 2021 will make urgent amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 (Aged Care Act) and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018 (Quality and Safety Commission Act) to implement three measures in response to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Royal Commission), and in the case of restrictive practices, in response to the Independent Review of Legislation Provisions Governing the use of Restraint in Residential Aged Care. These legislative amendments deliver the first stage of aged care reform developed to respond to the Royal Commission’s final report, Final Report: Care, Dignity and Respect (final report).

The purpose of Schedule 1 of the Bill is to amend the Aged Care Act and the Quality and Safety Commission Act to further strengthen legislation on the use of restrictive practices in aged care.

Schedule 2 of the Bill amends the Aged Care Act to allow the Secretary to conduct reviews (assurance reviews) to assure the arrangements for the delivery and administration of home care are effective and efficient. Assurance reviews will inform the continuous improvement of home care policy and the education of approved providers in relation to home care and home care services.

Schedule 3 of the Bill removes the requirement for the Minister for Aged Care to establish a committee known as the Aged Care Financing Authority.

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About the Author

ACE Editorial Team

ACE is published by Ideagen. CompliSpace is Ideagen’s SaaS-enabled solution that helps organisations in highly-regulated industries to meet their governance, risk, compliance and policy management obligations.

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