New Charter of Aged Care Rights
A new Charter of Aged Care Rights (the Charter) has been made in law and will take effect from 1 July 2019.
Transition to the new Charter has begun. Information about the timeframes for implementation and the requirements for providers to sign, and support consumers to understand, the Charter is available on the department’s website.
The Charter will replace the existing charters that relate to care recipients' rights and responsibilities and apply to people once they start receiving Government-subsidised aged care, including:
- residential care
- home care packages
- flexible care
- the Commonwealth Home Support Programme
- the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program.
The Charter will provide the same rights to aged care consumers regardless of the type of care they receive and help to create a shared understanding about the rights of people receiving aged care.
The Charter has been translated into multiple languages.
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) is supporting the Department of Health with raising awareness and providing education about the Charter, which includes support to aged care service providers and consumers. More information is available on OPAN’s website.
Reablement-focused Assessment Trial Commences
Reablement-focused assessments are being trialled by five Regional Assessment Services undertaking ‘active assessment’ of clients seeking services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
The focus is on a ‘show me’ approach to how clients undertake activities of daily living and working with them to identify task simplification strategies. Most clients complete a reablement period of 6-8 weeks before referral for ongoing CHSP services is made.
Support strategies for the sector will be rolled out during the trial. These will include training programs, resources and practical supports to assist CHSP service providers, senior Australians, their families and carers.
An evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the assessment model. The trial will run until June 2020.
Participate in the 2019 Aged Care National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (AC NAPS)
Aged care homes and multi-purpose services are encouraged to take part in this year's Aged Care National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (AC NAPS) on any single day between 1 June 2019 and 31 August 2019.
Participation in the survey helps aged care homes identify improvements in use of antimicrobials for residents. The AC NAPS data can also assist aged care homes to meet the Australian Aged Care Quality Standards.
Previous AC NAPS surveys have identified the following areas for improvement:
- poor documentation
- prolonged duration
- high use of topical antimicrobials.
To register for the 2019 AC NAPS:
- email support@naps.org.au
- call (03) 9342 9415
- visit the NAPS website.
The website also has online AC NAPS training materials.
Macular Disease Foundation Australia Digital training tools
The Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) have developed easy-to-use digital training tools to be used in all Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) to help staff understand the visual needs of residents and better care for those with vision loss and blindness.
The free resources include:
- training video for care workers
- accompanying resource for care workers (PDF, 1.28 MB)
- resource for management and health professionals (PDF, 4.39 MB)
- resource for families and guardians for residents (PDF, 1.62 MB)
MDFA encourages all RACFs to use these resources and incorporate them into staff training programs.
The MDFA will conduct a follow-up online survey after July this year asking for feedback on these resources.
Aged Care Pricing Commissioner – 2019 online updates
The Office of the Aged Care Pricing Commissioner is revamping its processes, including an online Application Form. There will also be an updated website, best practice examples for providers and more improvements.
Consultation on this process is being carried out via an industry working group made up of providers and industry/consumer peak bodies.
Watch this short video to find out more about these developments.