Aged care news highlights from the week ending 7 October 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

No significant developments this week.

Other News

New Code of Conduct for Aged Care

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, from 1 December 2022, a Code of Conduct for Aged Care (the Code) will be introduced to improve safety and wellbeing for aged care consumers and to boost trust in services.

You can read the Code on page 8 of the exposure draft of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Amendment (Code of Conduct and Banning Orders) Rules 2022. The Department of Health and Aged Care is starting a public consultation on the Code exposure draft on 4 October. We are also hosting 2 webinars on the Code and registrations will open one week before each event:

• Friday 7 October at 1:30–2:30 pm AEDT (for approved providers) – register to attend this session
• Friday 11 November at 2:00–3:00 pm AEDT (for aged care workers).

Introducing the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) in home services

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, from 1 December 2022, the SIRS will commence in home care and flexible care delivered in a home or community setting. The first of 3 webinars on SIRS in home services was hosted by the Commission on 26 September 2022. You can access the recording via our www.agedcarequality.gov.au/reforms webpage. 

Strengthening provider governance

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, from 1 December 2022, there will be new governance responsibilities for approved providers. For providers approved before 1 December 2022, these include:

• changes to the reporting requirements for material changes
• assessment of suitability of their key personnel
• reporting annually on provider operations.

Additional requirements will also commence on 1 December 2023:

• requirements regarding the composition and skills of governing bodies
• establishing and continuing a quality advisory body
• offering consumers and their representatives (every 12 months) the opportunity to establish one or more consumer advisory bodies.

Detailed guidance documents will be available to assist providers to implement the requirements. We are also hosting a webinar on provider governance on Thursday 27 October at 3:00–4:00 pm AEDT with registrations opening one week before the event.

Consultation process on draft revised Quality Standards

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, the Department of Health and Aged Care has just released advice that public consultations on the draft revised Aged Care Quality Standards are commencing on 17 October and will run until 25 November 2022. Visit the Department’s Aged Care Engagement Hub for information on how you can participate or to make any enquiries about the public consultation process.

Residential aged care means assessment under AN-ACC 

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, the introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) has not changed the aged care means assessment, which determines:

• resident eligibility for government assistance with accommodation costs, and any payable contributions
• the payable means-tested care fee.

This means the location of a service does not impact the means-tested care fee payable by residents. Learn more on the Fees for people entering residential aged care from 1 July 2014 webpage on the department’s website.

Important changes to additional service fees under AN-ACC 

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, previously, residents with certain Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) classifications could be charged additional service fees for items in Part 3 of Schedule 1 within the Quality of Care Principles 2014 (Principles). From 1 October 2022, the funding provided under the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) covers the cost of specified care and services provided for all residents. This means you can no longer charge additional service fees for items in Part 3 of Schedule 1, regardless of the resident’s AN-ACC classification.

With the resident’s agreement, an additional service fee can be charged for:

• services you are not otherwise required to provide, such as hairdressing and pay TV
• services that are substantially better than the requirements under Schedule 1 of the Principles.

Learn more on the Fees for people entering residential aged care from 1 July 2014 webpage on the department’s website.

Requesting a reconsideration or reclassification for permanent and respite residents

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, with the introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC), residential aged care providers can now access the following functions in the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal:

• request a reclassification for a respite resident if their care needs have changed
• request a reconsideration of an initial AN-ACC classification or reclassification decision. This request can be made within 28 days of the notification of a permanent or respite resident’s assessment outcome. Default classes and AN-ACC class 1 (palliative care) are exempt from the reconsideration process.

Instructions about these functions are available at My Aged Care – Provider Portal User Guide: Part 2 Team Leader and Staff Member Functions. The AN-ACC funding guide is also available for guidance on the new funding model.

Quarterly Financial Report portal open for quarter 1 submissions

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, providers can now submit their first Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) through the Forms Administration QFR portal. This report will cover quarter 1 of the 2022-23 financial year (July-September). Quarter 1 QFR submissions are due by 4 November 2022. Providers are reminded that reports must be submitted by this date to ensure that care minutes data is accepted for Star Rating purposes.

A data collection helpdesk run by Forms Administration is available to assist providers completing the QFR. Providers are encouraged to call the helpdesk on (02) 4403 0640 or email enquiries to health@formsadministration.com.au.

Important SIRS reporting changes

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, as of Monday 3 October 2022, all incidents of unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct in residential aged care services must be reported as Priority 1 incidents under the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS). The SIRS reporting form in the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal has been updated to reflect this new obligation. Providers can now only select Priority 1 when reporting these incidents in the SIRS reporting form. They cannot be reported as Priority 2.

Prudential Disclosure Standard – new fact sheet available

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, residential aged care providers who hold refundable deposits must comply with the Prudential Standards, which include the Disclosure Standard. A new fact sheet is now available to help you meet your disclosure obligations. If you’re a provider that had a standard financial year for 2021–22, you have 2 disclosure reports to complete by 31 October 2022.

Drs want PHNs to run onsite pharmacist program

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Australian Medical Association has recommended funding go to Primary Health Networks to implement residential aged care’s embedded pharmacist program rather than aged care homes.

National aged care conference set to tackle industry reforms

According to Hello Care, aged care reform will be at the forefront of industry discussions this month as the inaugural Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) National Conference heads to the Adelaide Convention Centre from October 12-14.

Report reveals Australia’s care economy shortfalls

According to Aged Care Insite, Australia's care economy will be in need of a thousand staff within the next five years, a figure that is expected to double by 2050, a new report found.

Risk of system failure if in-home care program adopts wrong model: report

According to Community Care Review, the repurposed Support at Home aged care program needs to have the right design from the beginning, according to a new report.

Agency staff linked to poorer quality of care, says research

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the reliance of agency staff in aged care facilities leads to poorer quality care outcomes for residents, Australian research has found.

Legislation

[Draft] Guardianship and Administration Amendment Bill 2022 [TAS] – consultation closes 28 Oct 2022

The draft Bill amends the Guardianship and Administration Act 1995 and the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2020 as part of a staged approach to updating and modernising Tasmania’s guardianship and administration system in response to a report of the Tasmania Law Reform Institute. The Bill also addresses legislative matters arising for the Independent Review of the Public Trustee.

The Bill has been drafted on the basis that the Guardianship and Administration Amendment (Advance Care Directives) Act 2021, including amendments made to that Act currently before Parliament as part of the Justice Miscellaneous (Advance Care Directives) Bill 2022, are scheduled to commence on 21 November 2022.