Aged care news highlights from the week ending 5 August 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.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 News

Nearly 10,000 staff and residents infected with Covid-19

According to Aged Care Insite, there are nearly 10,000 aged care residents and staff infected with COVID-19 in Australia. Recent data from the Department of Health and Aged Care has shown there are currently 9906 active COVID-19 cases in 1064 residential aged-care facilities across the nation. Of these figures, 6360 cases involved residents and 3546 were staff.

Resident COVID-19 vaccination rates by facility available via health.gov.au

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

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, from today, COVID-19 vaccination rates of residents by aged care facility will be publicly available on the Department’s website. Aggregated de-identified COVID-19 vaccination rates for residents at a residential aged care facility level will be available, including in a new interactive map. Data will be updated weekly.

COVID-19 vaccination for aged care residents

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

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, residential aged care facilities are responsible for ensuring residents have access to the recommended additional Winter booster dose as soon as they are eligible. Information to support Winter dose vaccination is available on the Department’s website.

Other News

Major reform bill passes both houses of parliament

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, a week since its reintroduction by the Albanese Government, the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response) Bill – which stalled when first presented to parliament 1 September last year – has finally made it through both chambers of the house. The bill – one of two brought before parliament last Tuesday – responds to 17 recommendations of the aged care royal commission’s final report.

‘Left standing outside in the cold’ – allied health still waiting for appropriate funding

According to Aged Care Insite, amid the passing of one new aged care reform bill, the allied health sector is renewing its call to the federal government to adequately fund allied health. New regulations introduced in the bills include mandated 24/7 on-site nurses in residential homes, ensuring minimum care minutes per resident, and implementing the AN-ACC funding model. However, Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) says that neither the previous two federal budgets nor the new legislation have set a benchmark and funding for residents in aged care.

Funding available to providers that digitise med management

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, in response to the aged care royal commission’s final report, the federal government is encouraging aged care providers to adopt electronic medication management systems. Up to $30 million has been made available via a grant opportunity incentivising providers to install transitional-conformant Electronic National Residential Medication Chart products in their residential aged care facilities.

Aged care lagging behind on tech: new report

According to Aged Care Insite, technology will be key to fix the “structural deficiencies” in Australia’s aged care sector and providers must improve their digital maturity in the next phase of system reform, experts have said. A new report by the RMIT-Cisco Health Transformation Lab detailed the critical role technology will play in supporting new aged care legislation. The paper, Transforming aged care – towards a future in which digitisation drives respect and connection, said there was a need for a “systematic" digital overhaul in the next five years.

Lack of accountability blamed for dangerous polypharmacy and preventable deaths  

According to Aged Care Insite, new research suggests a rivalry between industry bodies as to who should be in charge of medication reviews is leading to preventable hospitalisations and deaths of people in aged care homes.

‘Thanks for caring’

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, Sunday offers an opportunity to celebrate Australia’s aged care workers on Aged Care Employee Day, held annually on 7 August. Providers, residents and families are gearing up to voice thanks to the 360,000 or so aged care staff who look after older loved ones in residential, home and community care settings.

Legislation

Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response) Bill 2022 [CTH] – passed 2 August 2022

A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to aged care, health and aged care pricing, and information sharing in relation to veterans and military rehabilitation and compensation, and for related purposes. The Bill seeks to amend various acts in order to implement several time critical aged care measures, many of which respond to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Royal Commission) Final Report: Care, Dignity and Respect (Final Report).

Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) Bill 2022 [CTH] – referred to committee 28 July 2022

The Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) Bill 2022 seeks to amend the Aged Care Act 1997 (Aged Care Act) to implement a series of urgent measures that will give older Australians the dignity and respect they deserve. These amendments are intended to enable meaningful, practical improvements to the delivery of aged care services and to provide greater oversight and understanding of what funds are being used for. These measures put the quality of care and safety of older Australians first.