Update: Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
The timeframe for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Royal Commission) has been extended. The Royal Commission’s final report is now due on 26 February 2021.
Public submissions to the Royal Commission closed on 31 July 2020.
More information about the Royal Commission, including upcoming hearings, is available on the Royal Commission’s website.
New guidance on psychosocial care for older people
Older people with advanced and life-limiting conditions face many challenges and may experience a range of psychosocial issues.
When these issues are not identified and addressed, they can have a profound impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as on their family, friends, and carers. These issues can also affect the services provided by aged care and at-home palliative care organisations.
palliAGED has developed new evidence-based and practical resources to support Australia’s aged care workforce in providing psychosocial care. These include the:
Psychosocial Care Practice page listing evidence-based tools, links, and other information to guide aged care staff
Evidence Summary page providing a short synopsis of findings of systematic reviews on psychosocial care
Evidence Synthesis page including the latest evidence and research on:
- screening and assessment
- interventions and management
- psychological care for the marginalised
- bereavement
- psychosocial support of aged care staff.
Reminder: Business Improvement Fund grant opportunity
Grant opportunities for the Business Improvement Fund for residential aged care have been extended to 30 April 2021.
The fund provides financial assistance to eligible residential aged care providers with limited access to other financial support. There are three streams of grant funding:
- Business Improvement - supporting a provider to go through a process of business improvement
- Sale of a Facility - supporting the sale of the residential aged care facility to another provider
- Closure of a Facility - where no other options exist, supporting the orderly and safe close down of a residential aged care facility.
The fund aims to support small to medium sized providers (generally with less than 7 facilities) that have limited access to financial support that are facing significant financial pressures which may impact on care to residents, or there is a risk of service closure.
For more information, and to submit your application form, refer to Grant Opportunity GO3410 on the GrantConnect website.
Applications close at 2:00pm AEST on 30 April 2021.
Continence care survey – National Ageing Research Institute (NARI)
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety found that many people do not receive care that protects their dignity. NARI is interested in residents’ and family members’ opinions about what bladder and bowel health care should be received by people in residential aged care.
You can take part in NARI’s 15-minute survey if you are a resident, carer, family member or friend of a person living in a residential aged care home. You’ll be helping NARI develop a best-practice model of continence care.
You can complete the survey online. NARI can also mail a hardcopy of the survey and postage paid return envelopes on request.
The survey closes on 17 August 2020.
For further information, contact Dr Joan Ostaszkiewicz at j.ostaszkiewicz@nari.edu.au