Your Aged Care Update # 09/24
In this issue
Sector news
Volunteer visitors give friendship and companionship to older people
Regular visits from a volunteer can help improve the quality of life of older people who may be feeling lonely or isolated.
Older people are matched with volunteers through the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS) for friendship and companionship.
During a visit, a volunteer and older person can do anything they both feel like doing,
such as:
enjoy a chat over a cup of tea
take a walk
work on a joint hobby together.
If you think your home care recipient or aged care resident will benefit from companionship, refer them to the ACVVS.
All you have to do is to fill out this short online request a volunteer form.
COVID-19: Grant closing dates and new support arrangements
The 2023 COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program Grant is closing on 3 April 2024.
This grant supports providers for costs due to COVID-19 outbreaks between 1 January and 31 December 2023. Please submit applications early as any applications received after 3 April 2024 will not be accepted.
Providers will now receive an automatic supplement with the first payments of the new Aged Care Outbreak Management Supplement starting this month. There is no need to apply. Eligible providers will be paid the supplement automatically.
The supplement will help with the cost of managing outbreaks, including planning.
Read more about support for providers and workers.
Free translating and interpreting services for aged care providers
Did you know that you can use free translating and interpreting services to communicate with older people in their preferred language?
These services include:
Free translation service – translation of aged care service materials into languages other than English.
TIS National interpreting service – 24/7 access to TIS National interpreting services, including phone, on-site and video remote interpreting to support communication with people in different languages.
Deaf Connect sign language interpreting and captioning service – in-person and online sign language interpreting and live captioning to support older people to better engage with aged care services.
Follow the links above to understand and access these free services for your organisation.
You can also direct older people to information in other languages on the My Aged Care website.
Consultation: Quality Standards guidance resources
Have you reviewed the draft guidance documents on the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards? The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission developed resources to help providers understand and meet the strengthened Standards.
Share your feedback on these resources via an online survey. The survey will take between 5 and 20 minutes to complete.
Draft documents open for feedback:
guidance for providers on strengthened Quality Standards 1-7
audit methodology
evidence framework
guidance for aged care workers
pre-audit preparation tool
request for Information templates and glossary of terms.
Visit the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website for details.
Consultation closes midday (AEST), 30 April 2024.
Residential care
Providers must ensure continuity of care in emergencies
All approved providers must maintain quality care during an emergency. Effective emergency management planning is critical, particularly in residential settings, or where older people have higher care needs.
Preparing for emergency events, such as bushfires, floods, cyclones and thunderstorms, will reduce the impacts for people receiving services, staff and organisations.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission have published a case study documenting the experience of an aged care home during the 2019-20 bushfires.
You can read about:
how care recipients were affected
the emergency management approach
‘lessons learned’.
Read the IRT Aged Care Centres case study. You can also read about service continuity and emergency events in aged care.
Quarterly care minutes targets
We will publish care minutes targets for the April-June quarter in the Government Provider Management System (GPMS) the week of the 25 March 2024. We calculate targets using the method described in the relevant legislation.
Use our Care Minutes Targets Calculator to verify your targets and email RCFRBdataandanalysis@Health.gov.au if you have any concerns.
To make sure your targets reflect the residents in your care, update your claims information well in advance. Updates need to be made before the 15th day of the month before the start of the next quarter.
For more information read GPMS User Guide: Care Minutes Targets.
In-home care
Home Care Packages: monthly statement guidelines
Home Care Package providers are reminded they must give monthly statements to each care recipient, even if they take leave from their package.
Monthly statements must include specific information to show care recipients:
the available funds in their package at the start of the month
a breakdown of funds received and spent during the month itemised by
care/service typethe amount of unspent funds remaining at the end of the month split into type.
We recommend you use our monthly statement template. See our provider guide for a detailed explanation of the template and how to use it effectively.
Webinar: CHSP community transport pricing pilot
We are hosting a webinar for Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) transport providers to give an update on the CHSP community transport pricing pilot.
When: Thursday 28 March, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm (AEDT)
The webinar will:
share more details about the pilot, including the aim of the work, timeframes and who is involved
give CHSP transport providers the opportunity to ask questions.
If you are unable to attend, a recording will be available on our website.
Register now.
Find out more about the CHSP community transport pricing pilot.
Workforce
Home Care Workforce Support Program - applications still open
The Home Care Workforce Support Program helps people become personal care workers. If you know anyone interested in a career as a personal care worker, let them know they can apply for the program.
Participants in the program can get the support and training they need to join the home care workforce and provide high-quality care for older people.
Applications for the Home Care Workforce Support Program are open until 31 March 2024.
Read more on how to get involved with the Home Care Workforce Support Program and please share this information with people wanting to enter aged care.
Webinar: Workforce planning and support programs
Aged care providers are invited to join a webinar on workforce planning and support programs available to help them improve their business operations.
When: Thursday 21 March, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm (AEDT)
The webinar will include information on:
the Business and Workforce Advisory Services Service delivered by EY which provides free, confidential advice on aged care business and workforce issues
insights from the evaluation of Home Care Workforce Support Program
the Remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Service Development Assistance Panel and other support programs.
Webinar: Supporting multicultural older women at risk of homelessness
The Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing (Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care Victoria) is holding a free webinar for people working in the aged care sector.
The webinar will provide information on how to support older women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are at risk of homelessness.
When: Tuesday 26 March at 2 pm (AEDT)
This webinar is part of the interactive series Cultural Diversity in Ageing 2023-24 and can assist providers to meet aged the care quality standards. For nurses, it may be counted as continuing professional development for registration.
Register now.
You can watch recordings of previous webinars from this series for free, anytime.