Aged care news highlights from the week ending 25 August 2019.

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 and Critical Success Solutions.

Advocates call for ban on restraints

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the government should scrap its new regulation on the use of restraints in aged care and work towards banning restraints altogether, a group of advocates has told a parliamentary inquiry. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights held a hearing in Sydney yesterday where public and consumer advocates, researchers and health professionals from around the country spoke about human rights concerns relating to the new rule. The regulation, which was announced in April and came into effect on 1 July, aims to limit the use of physical and chemical restraints. The group said the use of physical or chemical restraints as punishment, control, retaliation, or as a measure of convenience for staff should be prohibited, in line with Australia’s international human rights obligations.

Government announces long term health blueprint, Medicare, home care priorities

According to Aged Care Insite, the government has released Australia’s Long-Term National Health Plan, promising to make the health system “the world’s number one”. The government has outlined areas for improvement with its blueprint made up of four key pillars.

• Guaranteeing Medicare and improving access to medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
• Supporting our public and private hospitals, including improvements to private health insurance.
• Prioritising mental health and preventive health.
• Investing in health and medical research.

Figures show decrease in rate of dementia hospitalisations

According to Community Care Review, there were almost 95,000 cases of people with dementia being admitted to hospital in 2016-17, representing a 23 per cent decrease in hospitalisation rates from 10 years ago, according to newly released government statistics. An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, Hospital care for people with dementia 2016-17, says there were 94,800 admissions for people with dementia over 12 months. However, the rate of dementia hospitalisations decreased by almost a quarter – from 408 hospitalisations per 100,000 population in 2007 to 313 in 2017. AIHW spokesman Richard Juckes says the reasons for this are unclear but may be related to dementia classification.

Hospital, aged care meals in Victorian government's sights

According to The Senior, the Victorian government has food provided to hospital patients and aged care residents in its sights. State health minister Jenny Mikakos has announced an audit that will focus on the taste and nutritional value of meals provided. It will also look at whether the ingredients have been locally sourced, whether there are diverse foods for modern diets, and aim to reduce high fat and high salt foods from hospitals, either at the bedside, in hospital-run cafes or vending machines.

Enhanced living research hub to improve in-home support

According to Community Care Review, Deakin University is home to new a $3 million collaborative research hub which will focus on delivering technological innovations and smart homes to help older Australians and people with disability remain in the community.

Can working in aged care produce better nurses?

According to Nursing Review, research by academics at Western Sydney University has found that nursing undergrads who work in aged care while completing their studies are learning valuable skills and enter the profession ahead of their graduate peers.

Do we still need unpaid carers in a competitive aged care market?

According to Nursing Review, it is commonly, if wrongly, argued that formal services substitute for unpaid carers. We’ve all heard this argument before – for example, that the reason we need so many residential care facilities is that people no longer help their own family members. Could that be the logic behind the new approach in Australia where carers are no longer part of the target group for support by the services that assist those for whom they care, but are instead directed to specialised support services designed to help them cope better and to seek employment ASAP?

Snacking maximises shiftworker productivity

According to Hospital Health, a University of South Australia study published in the journal Nutrients investigated whether altering food intake during the nightshift could optimise how shiftworkers felt during the night and reduce their sleepiness. Testing the impact of either a snack, a meal, or no food at all, the study found that a simple snack was the best choice for maximising alertness and productivity. Lead researcher and University of South Australia PhD candidate Charlotte Gupta said the finding had the potential to help thousands of shiftworkers who worked during the night.

WA’s first dementia bus about to hit the road

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, WA’s first purpose-built community dementia bus has been launched to provide respite and information to dementia carers, give people living with dementia access to VR technology and bring education and awareness to schools.

Call to mandate electronic data systems in aged care

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, Steven Strange, CEO of leading software provider Health Metrics, has called for the aged care royal commission to make a recommendation to mandate the use of modern electronic systems across the aged care industry. Such systems should at the very least operate in real-time, across any device, be highly scalable, robust and operate as part of an ecosystem in terms of integrated interoperability and business intelligence, Mr Strange said. The royal commission has drawn attention to the importance of having accurate data, putting pressure on many aged care organisations to respond swiftly to requests for information.

Residents happier with kids around, study finds

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, intergenerational care helps older people form special bonds with children, improve their moods and reconnect with the past, according to the evaluation of a two-year project. Griffith University’s Intergenerational Care Project evaluated the effectiveness of two intergenerational model, one involving a shared campus and the other a visiting approach. The project, which assessed the models over 16 weeks, involved approximately 40 children aged 3 to 5 and 40 aged care recipients at three day respite centres and one aged care facility in Queensland and New South Wales.

Legislation

Nothing in the news this week.

Resources and Upcoming Conferences

New Aged Care Means Assessment Forms

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has released the new Aged Care Calculation of your cost of care (SA486) digital form. Your clients can fill it in online, print and sign it and send it to DHS with their supporting documents. The digital form uses dynamic questions tailored to the customers’ individual circumstances.

Uploading Data Collection Template: Quick Reference Guide for CHSP providers

The My Aged Care Provider Portal will open from 22 July until 11.59pm AEST 23 October 2019 for Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) providers to upload the grandfathered client data collection template. The Department of Health has released a Quick Reference Guide that explains how to upload the data collection template into the My Aged Care Provider Portal and select the services each client receives.

Provider Survey – Future Design of CHSP – open 14 August 2019 to 2 September 2019

The Department of Health is seeking information from Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) providers regarding aspects of their current and planned service delivery. This information will be used to inform the design and development of the CHSP over the 2020 - 2022 extension period and beyond. A link to the survey will be sent via email to all CHSP service providers from 14 August 2019. The survey will close on 2 September 2019. The department encourages all providers to complete the survey to ensure your views are represented in the future CHSP design process.

Quality in Aged Care National Conference – 26-29 August 2019, Sydney

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the Quality in Aged Care Conference running in Sydney from the 26th – 29th August is once again brought to you in partnership with COTA Australia and ACSA. Following a gathering of over 200 leaders at the previous in March 2019, this next conference offers insights into the next chapter of aged care reform. It is a critical opportunity for all providers of aged care services to learn from industry leaders, peak bodies and legislators and prepare their organisations for some of the biggest challenges facing the industry, including the Royal Commission and the new standards.

Crossing the Chasm - From Compliance to Innovative Dining Solutions – Webinar – 29 August 2019

According to Winc, a poor meal and dining experience can not only have a detrimental impact on a resident’s emotional well-being but it can also lead to malnutrition resulting in increased risk of falls, illness, injury, reduced quality of life and premature death. In this webinar, Jo Cleary will discuss her solutions of how we can address this issue and better utilise food and labour resources. She’ll include novel and practical solutions that you can implement immediately.

Health Metrics 2019 World Conference – 29-30 August, Melbourne

According to Health Metrics, the 2019 conference entitled “Adapt and Align to New Thinking”, will inform and engage providers of aged care, retirement living, primary health care, home and disability care. Industry leaders and service-providers are invited to hear the latest on Technology & Innovation, Leadership & Management, Quality & Standards, Analytics & Reporting, Government, Policy and the Royal Commission.

Navigating the Aged Care System Webinar Series – Webinar 4: Aged care support and service options – Friday 30 August 11.00am – 12.30pm

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is holding a webinar on:

• Basic help at home: overview of the Commonwealth Home Support Programme
• How to begin services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme

Embolden 2019 – 1-3 September 2019, St Kilda Town Hall, Melbourne

According to the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), Embolden is an annual Festival created by Celebrate Ageing and aimed at challenging ageism and building respect for Elders. It provides unique opportunities for service providers, community members and Elders to learn from each other about making cultural change happen. It recognises the capacity of Elders to co-design, co-produce and co-lead innovations.

Living and Ageing Well Conference – 17 September 2019, Grand Hyatt Melbourne

According to Pearson Clinical Assessment, the overarching goal of clinical intervention when working with older people, regardless of diagnosis, is to improve the person’s quality of life. Whether you work with older adults in their own home and community, in a hospital, outpatient setting or in a residential aged care facility, there are strategies you could be using in your interventions to further enhance your clients’ quality of life. At this conference, we’ll share valuable insights and strategies from industry experts. And we’ll workshop tools designed to help you apply holistic care to older adults with a range of diagnoses, across many settings, with a goal of improving the quality of life for older adults.

Aged Care System Navigator Measure – Discussion Paper Open for Feedback Until 16 September 2019

The Australian Healthcare Associates (AHA) has been engaged by the department to evaluate the Aged Care System Navigator Measure (the Measure). AHA has developed a discussion paper informed by stakeholder consultations and existing system navigator models. The paper outlines proposed design principles, components and considerations for implementation of aged care system navigator models in Australia. Feedback on the discussion paper will be used in the evaluation of the Measure and contribute to the aged care system navigation policy direction.

Managing Dignity of Risk Challenges in Residential Aged Care WORKSHOP – various locations across Vic and NSW in October and November 2019

According to The Communiques, this essential workshop is designed for executives, senior managers, clinicians and relevant personnel to provide a systematic approach to examining the issues of how to manage risks for older residents living in residential aged care facilities. Balancing staff and organizational responsibilities of duty of care with the residents’ rights and choice in Dignity of Risk. For more information, including times and locations of workshops, follow the link above and download the full program.

ACSA National Summit – 8-10 October 2019, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) is hosting the 2019 ACSA National Summit, to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), 8–10 October 2019. The 2019 ACSA National Summit will bring together thought leaders and innovators – both local and international – to discuss hot topics, challenges and opportunities, workshopping together to uncover solutions to some of the aged care industry’s biggest challenges.

LASA National Congress – 27-29 October 2019, Adelaide

According to Australian Ageing Agenda, the LASA National Congress will offer global perspectives, best-practice keynotes, and interactive, thought-provoking discussions, designed to empower our industry to actively embrace future opportunities and become the change we want to see. This year’s theme is: Better Ageing Futures for All Australians.