Webinar: Star Ratings 18 November
The department is hosting a free webinar at 1pm‑2pm AEDT on Friday 18 November to provide information about the purpose, development and design of Star Ratings.
Star Ratings for residential aged care will be published on My Aged Care in December. They will support older Australians and their representatives to make informed choices about residential aged care services.
Webinar participants can submit questions via the Q&A function. It will also be recorded and available on the department’s website.
Find out more about Star Ratings on the department’s website.
Reminder: Employer Engagement Webinars: Expanding the Aged Care Workforce through Australian Apprenticeships (Traineeships)
The department is hosting a series of employer engagement webinars, in partnership with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
This second webinar will cover Australian Apprenticeships (Traineeships) available to residential aged care, home care and Commonwealth Home Support Programme providers to:
- develop new care staff
- advance the skills of current aged care workers.
The session will be held at 12noon-1:30pm AEDT on Wednesday 26 October.
Learn about the training pathways and supports available. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.
If you have any questions or need help with registering, contact AgedCareWorkforceReform@Health.gov.au
The recording and slides from the first webinar, Attracting Workers into Aged Care, are now available.
Providers: Update your cost information on My Aged Care
Does your provider listing on My Aged Care show accurate information about service costs?
Costs are an important consideration for older people, when searching for aged care home or Home Care Package providers. This information is used to compare and choose providers.
The My Aged Care website can guide you on the best ways to format cost information in the Service and Support Portal so it is displayed correctly on the website.
Find more information at:
Free Equip Aged Care Learning Packages
Free online learning modules to support aged care workers are now available through the University of Tasmania’s Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre.
Funded by the department, the Equip Aged Care Learning Packages cover 14 contemporary topics in aged care. The modules are designed for direct care workers, volunteers, caregivers and anyone with an interest in improving care for older people.
The first 3 learning modules are available now, and provide an overview of the:
- Australian aged care system
- role of nurses, personal care workers and allied health professionals working in aged care
- Aged Care Quality Standards.
Register and enrol for these modules at Equip Aged Care Learning (utas.edu.au).
For further enquiries, email equip.learning@utas.edu.au
Improve understanding and treatment of drug users
New resources are available for health and aged care providers, to improve health services and increase empathy for older people who use drugs.
The Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) has developed the following free learning modules:
- A place of their own – learning modules focused on giving the aged care workforce better skills, knowledge and support to care for older drug users in palliative care settings.
- A normal day – stories from drug users and medical professionals to help improve understanding and communication as well as clinical interactions.
These resources can help staff provide culturally safe, appropriate, and inclusive care in line with the Aged Care Quality Standards.
Victoria’s Palliative Care Advice Service
The Palliative Care Advice Service (PCAS) provides Victorians with specialist palliative care information, guidance and support.
A Victorian Department of Health initiative hosted by The Royal Melbourne Hospital, the service provides free confidential advice when living with or caring for someone with life-limiting illness, palliative or end of life care needs. The service is also available to all Victoria-based healthcare providers.
Specialist doctors and nurses are available to assist clinicians, patients, carers and families with:
- what to expect and plan for
- how to have conversations about palliative care
- how to provide practical care to those with a life-limiting illness
- recognising deterioration and end of life
- developing symptom management plans
- converting oral medications to injectable and when to use a syringe driver
- finding local support throughout Victoria.
PCAS is contactable daily, 7am‑10pm, on 1800 360 000.
AN-ACC claims processing and payment statements
Services Australia is working with the sector to implement the new Aged Care Payment System.
From 1 November, eligible providers can submit their October claim, the first claim under the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC).
Services Australia will take a cautious approach when processing these claims, including additional checking and certification to ensure payment accuracy. Claim approval may take longer than usual and your patience is appreciated.
Residential aged care payment statement PDF
The Payment Statement PDF functionality is expected to be available from 3 December 2022. View the interim process below:
- On the service landing page, select the relevant option from the payment statement/summary for the appropriate claim month.
- Press the Ctrl and P buttons on your keyboard (Ctrl + P).
- Under the ‘printer’ dropdown (for Microsoft Edge) or ‘destination’ dropdown (for Google Chrome), select ‘save as PDF’.
- Select the ‘save’ button at the bottom of the pop-up screen.
- Save the relevant page of the payment statement on your desktop or in an easily accessible folder, ensuring to delete when no longer required.
Repeat the steps for every page you need to print (e.g. care recipient itemised payments). Select ‘landscape option’ before printing to ensure all data is included.
AN-ACC classification display issue
When using the Services Australia Aged Care Provider Portal, providers may see different AN-ACC classifications in the ‘Funding classification’ column compared to the details displayed in the ‘Event type‘ column. This will not affect claim calculations.
Services Australia is urgently investigating this display problem and resolving as a priority. No action is required by providers.