Aged care news highlights from the week ending 30 July 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

RFT extended and streamlined for providers wishing to vaccinate workers

According to the Department of Health, The RFT closing date has been extended to 13 August 2021.

In response to feedback from the sector, the Department of Health has further streamlined and simplified the tender response requirements and the contract. It is now a much simpler process to support providers to consider conducting their own on-site vaccination clinics for workers. The advantage is providers can choose when to run the clinics and over what period to enable all workers to be vaccinated as quickly and safely as possible.

Any residents not yet vaccinated are also able to receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines at these clinics. The Contracts team is available to discuss your interest in vaccinating your workforce and to guide you through the process.

Already, 14 residential aged care providers are delivering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination clinics for nearly 40,000 workers through the RFT process.

The RFT opened on 17 March, recognising the known capability and capacity within many residential aged care facilities to conduct safe and efficient vaccination programs.

Applicants must be approved providers under the Aged Care Act to be eligible.

Proposals can be submitted at any time up until 13 August 2021.

For further information on the Request for Tender please see the AusTender website or contact the Contracts team at COVID19VaccineProcurement@Health.gov.au

NSW Health 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, the screening advice for residential aged care facilities and home care service providers has been updated for 23 July 2021.

The key messages for this update is:

The notice effective 23 July 2021 issued under the Public Health (COVID-19 Temporary Movement and Gathering Restrictions) Order 2021 requires three day surveillance testing of people living in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA in order to be allowed to go to work as an aged care or health worker.

This information can change rapidly so please check the NSW Health website at least daily for updates.

SA Health 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, as announced last week Level 5 Stay at Home Restrictions are now in place in South Australia.

Please see the updated fact sheet, which provides information for operators of Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) about the Level 5 Stay at Home Restrictions.

The new fact sheet (updated 22 July 2021) provides updated SA Health advice in relation to the routine swabbing of persons prior to being discharged from hospital to a RACF, and clarifies some of the other provisions of the level 5 stay at home restrictions as they relate to RACF. Please disregard previous dated versions of this factsheet.

Please continue to check Contract tracing and exposure locations as the list of exposure sites is updated. This information will be updated on SA Health website shortly.

QLD Health - updated directions

(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, on Friday, 23 July 2021 Queensland Health issued Residential Aged Care Direction (No.3) which includes the following updated advice:

• there are no restricted Local Government Areas. You can now enter a residential aged care facility if you follow visitor requirements
• students on clinical placement can now enter a residential aged care facility without needing a COVID-19 vaccine as there are no Restricted Local Government areas.
• you can enter a residential aged care facility if you have been residing in the New South Wales border zone for the past 14 days.

Stay up to date on the latest advice on the Qld Health website.

ACT 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, the ACT CHO has issued an updated alert for ACT residential aged care facilities (RACFs). There are currently no restrictions on the number and duration of visits at ACT RACFs. You are not limited in the number of hours you can spend with your relative or friend.

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.

Other News

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Bulletin – July 2021

This issue of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s Bulletin covers:

• On-entry screening and routine monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms
• Limiting the risk that residential staff will need to isolate
• More resources to support providers in relation to new restrictive practices obligations
• From the Chief Clinical Advisor – behaviour support plans
• New Serious Incident Response Scheme resources for providers and consumers
• Provider feedback on site visits moves online from 1 August
• Information about antimicrobial stewardship in aged care
• Updates from the Department of Health
• New and updated Commission resources

Increase in psychotropic meds linked to GP changes

According to Aged Care Insite, people with dementia entering aged care experience higher increases in medication when changing GPs, a recent study has found. UNSW researchers analysed data from 2,250 people with dementia who had entered residential care from the Saxs Institute's 45 and Up study in NSW. Almost half of residents who changed to a new GP were associated with an increase in initiation of medicine, including antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. High rates of hyper polypharmacy, the prescribing of ten or more medications, was also linked to changes in primary health carers.

Home Care providers asked for input on home care redesign, new SIRS

According to Community Care Review, the federal government is seeking input from home care providers as it moves towards a sweeping overhaul of the aged care system in response to the recommendations of the aged care royal commission. Providers also have an opportunity to have their say on a proposal to introduce a mandatory home care serious incident reporting scheme for the first time.

Figures show drop in young people in aged care

According to Community Care Review, there’s been a drop in younger people living in and entering aged care over the last year, according to figures released by the government. “The number of (younger) people living in permanent residential aged care in Australia has been steadily decreasing,” the government said alongside the release of its latest dataset.

Most ATSI seniors prefer Indigenous aged care services

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the majority of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people prefer to access aged care provided by Aboriginal services, a Neuroscience Research Australia study has found. The study, published in the Australasian Journal on Ageing, investigated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s preferences for health and aged care services.

Legislation

Information Amendment (Vaccination Reporting) Principles 2021 [CTH] – commenced 27 July 2021

This instrument amends the Information Principles 2014 to authorise the Secretary to publish vaccination information received from approved providers under section 30C and 30D of the Accountability Principles 2014.