Aged care news highlights from the week ending 8 April 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

Upcoming changes to My Aged Care provider reporting for all aged care providers

According to the Department of Health, the Department is currently making improvements to the My Aged Care reporting template for residential and in-home and community aged care providers’ weekly reporting on resident and workforce COVID-19 vaccination status. The new reporting template is scheduled to commence from Tuesday 3 May 2022.

Changes to reporting on resident COVID-19 vaccinations

For residential aged care providers, the changes will include:

• a clear distinction for residents who have received a single dose only, two doses only (primary course) or a booster dose
• a new data field on the number of unvaccinated residents
• a new data field on the number of residents who are medically unsuitable or decline vaccination for additional doses
• a new data field on residents’ COVID-19 Winter doses.

Changes to reporting on residential and in-home and community aged care workforce COVID-19 vaccinations

For all aged care providers, the new template will provide a clear distinction for reporting the number of workers who have received a single dose only, two doses only (primary course) or a booster dose.

COVID-19 Winter dose program in residential aged care

According to the Department of Health, from today, residential aged care facilities can commence administering COVID-19 Winter dose vaccinations to aged care residents and workers who meet ATAGI's criteria of a vulnerable individual. A winter dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for residents in aged care ahead of the winter season, and aligns with the Commonwealth's winter preparedness planning. ATAGI recommends that aged care residents and other vulnerable groups receive their COVID-19 Winter dose from 4 months after their initial booster dose.

Push for ‘winter boosters’ and flu vaccines in aged care homes as COVID-19 cases surge

According to Aged Care Insite, an epidemiology expert is urging older people to get their flu shot and winter booster after a 36 per cent increase in COVID-19 cases in aged care homes this week. As of 31 March, there have been 658 active outbreaks in residential care with over 2,000 older people infected, according to Federal Health data. Over a thousand deaths have been reported since the start of 2022, which is higher than previous years combined. The nation’s top vaccine advisory group, ATAGI, recommends a fourth COVID-19 injection, ‘the winter boosters’, to protect people over 65.

Other News

Complaints against residential services rise, report shows

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the latest aged care sector quality performance report shows a slight increase in complaints lodged against residential services. Released by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, the report covers the fourth quarter of 2021 – October-December. Over that period, 1,639 complaints were made about residential aged care services, 122 more complaints lodged against residential aged care services compared to the third quarter of the year – July-September – which had 1,517 complaints recorded.

No funding or workers to implement recent amendments to Aged Care Reform Bill

According to Aged Care Guide, late on Wednesday night, amendments were made to the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 2) Bill in the Federal Senate that will make nursing care available 24/7 in aged care facilities.

Deployment of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for residential aged care facilities

According to the Department of Health, as part of the department’s winter preparedness, packs of the prescription-only medication, Tamiflu, will be deployed to residential aged care facilities from mid-April for both residents and staff. Tamiflu is an oral antiviral used to treat influenza A and B infections. Treatment should commence as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours after the onset of the initial symptoms.

Labelled packs sent to RACFs will include instructions for use and storage. Find information about influenza on the department’s website. The deployment of Tamiflu follows the preplacement of molnupiravir (Lagevrio®), an oral treatment for COVID-19, which was preplaced in RACFs in February for resident use only. Lagevrio® is now listed on the PBS.For more information, see the factsheet on the use of Lagevrio® (molnupiravir) in residential aged care.

Changes to My Aged Care: update your pricing information now

According to the Department of Health, new easy-to-navigate tools to help senior Australians better understand Home Care Package pricing is coming soon to the My Aged Care website. Providers should review and confirm that their pricing information is up to date on the My Aged Care Provider Portal ahead of the release (scheduled for April). Read more about the changes to improve price transparency for Home Care Packages.

Joint action to reduce the inappropriate use of psychotropic medicines

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, the Commission has partnered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to release a joint statement committing to collective action to address and reduce the misuse and overuse use of psychotropic medicines in the aged care and disability sectors. The statement provides a framework for future work and collaboration across the sectors and outlines the roles of the 3 Commissions in undertaking further actions.

Our latest ‘Sector performance report’ is now available

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, our ‘Sector performance report’ for the October–December 2021 quarter is now available. These quarterly reports include aged care sector performance statistics regarding residential aged care and home care services.

1,500 new Nursing and Allied Health Scholarships

According to the Department of Health, the Australian Government has expanded the Aged Care Nursing Scholarship Program and introduced Allied Health Dementia Care Scholarships. 1,500 new scholarships will be available to enrolled and registered nurses, personal care workers and allied health professionals. Applications for Semester One close on 5 May 2022. Find out more on the Australian College of Nursing website.

Labor pledges to fund pay rise for aged care workers

According to Community Care Review, a $2.5 billion package to overhaul aged care, focused primarily on residential care, is at the core of Labor’s pledge for the sector.

Six organisations funded $91m to drive home care workforce

According to Community Care Review, the federal government has provided funding to six organisations to help grow Australia’s home care workforce by 13,000 over the next two years.

Three in five homes making a loss

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the number of aged care homes operating at a loss has gone up despite the daily living subsidy supplement as revenue and occupancy fall, according to a new industry report.

Updates on AN-ACC funding reform

According to the Department of Health, residential aged care providers can now access the outcome of completed Australian National Aged Care Classifications (AN-ACC) shadow assessments through the My Aged Care Service Provider Portal.

Legislation

Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Vaccination Information) Principles (No. 2) 2022 [CTH] – commences 27 April 2022

This instrument amends the Accountability Principles 2014 and the Records Principles 2014 for requirements to report and record vaccination information.

The Amending Principles require approved providers of residential care, certain flexible care and home care services to keep records and report to the Secretary of the Department of Health (Secretary) in relation to the number of service staff who have not received one or more specified doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. This includes not only a single dose or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as previously required, but also a booster dose to ensure consistency in the way providers record and report on the doses service staff have not received.

The Amending Principles also impose requirements on approved providers of residential care and certain flexible services to keep records and report to the Secretary the number of care recipients to whom residential care is provided through the service:

• who have informed them that they have received an additional dose (‘winter 2022 dose’) of a COVID-19 vaccine;
• who have informed them they are unwilling or clinically unsuitable to receive a recommended dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 2) Bill 2021 [CTH] – passed Senate with amendments 30.03.22; returned to the House.

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.