News about the reforms

2024–25 Budget: Underpinning quality aged care

The Australian Government 2024–25 Budget invests $2.2 billion to:

• reinforce the foundations and connections of quality aged care 

• reduce wait times for older people seeking Home Care Packages 

• bolster the aged care workforce 

• deliver an enhanced quality and safety regulator 

• upgrade technology systems and digital infrastructure across the aged care sector. 

Read about the aged care reform priorities, or download the Budget 2024–25 fact sheet.

Sector news

Webinar: Building a culturally diverse workforce

Join a webinar on Building a culturally diverse workforce hosted by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.  
 
When: Wednesday 12 June, 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm (AEST)
 
Are you looking to develop a more diverse workforce? Learn from industry experts about recruitment strategies and the benefits of hiring multicultural staff.

This webinar is part of the Hiring Outside the Box series on alternative recruitment practices to develop your workforce.

Register now.

Webinar: Older women and elder abuse

Join Swinburne University’s Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults for a webinar on the elder abuse of older women.

This webinar is for people working in aged care, as well as psychologists, social workers, counsellors and volunteers who work with older people.

When: Friday 31 May, 4:45 pm to 6:00 pm (AEST)

Register now.

We have announced the winners of the ‘Reimagining Where We Live’ design ideas competition.

An expert jury considered the entries with input on the shortlisted designs from advisers living with dementia and selected 4 winners.

Visit Reimagining where we live to find out more about the winning designs.

The competition helped test and refine the draft National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines. The final Principles and Guidelines will start on 1 July 2024.

Good aged care design can improve quality of life for residents and environments for aged care workers.

Read more about how we’re improving aged care accommodation.
 

Spread the word this National Volunteer Week

It’s National Volunteer Week (20-26 May), a time to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of volunteers.

Volunteers are an essential part of the aged care system. They can give support to older people from diverse backgrounds, life experiences and cultures to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

You can help us by sharing information to encourage volunteering in aged care with your community and networks.  

To help you, we have produced resources to make spreading the word easy and effective. This includes content you can use on your website and social media, and in newsletters and other communication.

Download the communication toolkit now and inspire action.

Residential care

Adjustments to care minutes from 1 October

From 1 October 2024, care minutes will increase to a sector average of 215 minutes, including 44 minutes from a registered nurse (RN). You can also meet 10% of your RN target with care time delivered by an enrolled nurse (EN) from this date.

This small adjustment recognises the important role of ENs in aged care and will improve recruitment and retention of these skilled workers. It will also help you to meet your care minutes if you are facing RN workforce shortages.

This adjustment has been informed by stakeholder feedback including from providers, workers (particularly ENs), worker representatives, older people, state governments and the TAFE sector.

You will still be funded to meet your care minutes from 1 October 2024 as though the full 44 minute target is met by RNs, ensuring you have the option to meet your full nursing target with RNs.

See care minutes in residential aged care for more information.

New AN-ACC price to be announced August 2024

You are reminded the 2024-25 AN-ACC price will change from 1 October 2024, with an announcement expected in August.

The Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority will account for any cost increases from July in its advice. Meanwhile, the AN-ACC price of $253.82 will be maintained.

Also in August, the care minutes for each AN-ACC class from 1 October 2024 are expected to be announced. This will allow you to estimate your targets for the increase to 215 care minutes per resident per day.

Current sector average targets are around 205 minutes due to an increase in higher needs residents. You can plan your staffing from 1 October based on average targets increasing by around 5%.

See care minutes in residential aged care for more information.

Changes to the 24/7 registered nurse supplement

We are making changes to the 24/7 registered nurse (RN) supplement. From 1 July, you must meet the new threshold to get the RN supplement.

The registered nurse coverage threshold will increase to an average of 21 hours a day or 87.5% of total hours for the month.

You may get 50% of the supplement if you average up to 30 residents per month with at least 50% (but less than 87.5%) RN coverage.

From 1 October 2024, you will get more funding to meet your care minutes. We will be reducing the supplement rate at this time. You may get it if you have up to an average of 50 residents.

Visit 24/7 RN supplement for more information.

Pharmacists providing free National Immunisation Program vaccines

Eligible aged care residents can now conveniently access lifesaving vaccines for free.

Funding is now available for pharmacists to provide free National Immunisation Program vaccines, including influenza, at residential aged care homes.

If they haven’t already, aged care providers should talk to their local pharmacy as soon as possible to organise vaccines for their residents.

This will ensure our most vulnerable Australians have protection from COVID-19 and influenza ahead of winter.

Read the media release from the Minister for Health. 

In-home care

New medicines list for palliative care at home

The National Palliative Care Project (caring@home) has released a new National Core Community Palliative Care Medicines List.

The list identifies four medicines that can be prescribed by clinicians for end-of-life symptom management for home-based palliative care patients.

Most common end-of-life symptoms can be managed using these medicines. The list will improve access to essential palliative care medicines in the community, reducing distress and unwanted transfers to hospital.

Access the National Core Community Palliative Care Medicines List.

There are also resources and education on the caring@home website. These free resources for health and aged care workers can help families and carers manage end-of-life symptoms at home.

Workforce

Webinar: Building a culturally diverse workforce

Join a webinar on Building a culturally diverse workforce hosted by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.  
 
When: Wednesday 12 June, 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm (AEST)
 
Are you looking to develop a more diverse workforce? Learn from industry experts about recruitment strategies and the benefits of hiring multicultural staff.

This webinar is part of the Hiring Outside the Box series on alternative recruitment practices to develop your workforce.

Register now.

Webinar: Older women and elder abuse

Join Swinburne University’s Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults for a webinar on the elder abuse of older women.

This webinar is for people working in aged care, as well as psychologists, social workers, counsellors and volunteers who work with older people.

When: Friday 31 May, 4:45 pm to 6:00 pm (AEST)

Register now.