Your Aged Care Update # 08/24
Notable dates
Notable dates
Consultation: New Aged Care Act
Closes 8 March
Consultation: Expanding the national aged care mandatory quality indicators
Closes today.
News about the reforms
New Aged Care Act consultation closes this week
Consultation on the draft new Aged Care Act closes at 7 pm AEDT this Friday 8 March.
This draft will become a law that impacts everyone connected to aged care and we want to get it right. So, if you haven’t had the chance to get involved yet, take the time to have your say this week.
You can:
attend the final in-person workshop in Wollongong or the final virtual workshop,
both scheduled for 7 Marchcomplete our feedback survey online or by calling our consultation line on
1800 318 209send us a written submission by email or post.
Your feedback will help shape the final draft of the new law. It will then be introduced to Parliament for passage later this year.
Read more about the new Aged Care Act consultation.
Sector news
COVID-19: 2024 vaccine advice
Older age continues to be the main risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease.
You are eligible for your next dose if you are:
aged 65 years and over
aged 18 to 64 years and severely immunocompromised
AND it has been over 6 months since your last vaccine.
All other adults are eligible to get a dose every 12 months.
The COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same time as the annual influenza shot.
For the latest information visit COVID-19 vaccines.
Latest Quarterly Financial Snapshot published
You can now access the latest Quarterly Financial Snapshot. This includes data from 1 July to 30 September 2023 that was submitted through the Quarterly Financial Report. The snapshot provides sector level information on:
key financial indicators
care minutes
labour costs, wages and hours
food and nutrition.
The release of quarterly financial snapshots is part of our commitment to increasing transparency in aged care through timely publication of financial data.
We would like to thank all providers who provided reporting data and contributed to developing this snapshot.
Download a copy of the Quarterly Financial Snapshot.
Apply for verification if you provide specialised services
If you are a provider delivering specialised care, apply now to have this information displayed on My Aged Care.
Specialised services include services to support:
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities
people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
people who are financially or socially disadvantaged
veterans
people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
people who spent time in out-of-home care when they were children (care leavers)
parents separated from their children by forced adoption or removal
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex people
people who live in rural or remote areas.
Information will be independently verified before being published on My Aged Care.
People can filter by specialised care on My Aged Care’s Find a provider tool. This helps people find the best aged care service to meet their unique needs.
Learn more about specialisation verification and apply now.
Residential care
Check your recorded occupancy by place and type
From April 2024, Services Australia will commence checking occupancy levels against the number of care recipients by approved place type.
This means any provider that has claimed more general or extra service places than approved for, won’t be able to finalise claims.
Providers need to review and check their approved places and beds are correctly recorded. Any updates should be made in the aged care provider portal before 1 April 2024.
Find out more by reading the management of places forms and guidance for approved providers. This includes information on changing allocated places.
Workforce
New survey: Home Care Workforce Support Program for providers and workers
We are carrying out 2 separate surveys to make sure we understand all the details and variations within the home care workforce.
We want to hear from:
home care providers
personal care workers, enrolled nurses and allied health assistants.
The Home Care Workforce Support Program (HCWSP) supports employers to grow the home care workforce. The results will help our ongoing evaluation of the HCWSP.
We want to identify:
composition of the workforce
jobs being performed
skills and qualifications
work preferences.
Complete the survey for providers OR complete the survey for workers. Each survey takes around 10 minutes to complete.
Surveys close on Friday 29 March.