THE HARDEST AND MOST HEARTBREAKING THING YOU WILL EVER HAVE TO DO
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/search/nursing-homes/gold-coast-region-qld
For your loved one to make that 'Final' decision to move into a nursing home.
https://hellocare.com.au/relocation-stress-syndrome/
According to a paper commissioned by Moves For Seniors, Relocation Stress Syndrome is likely to be displayed right before a move and within the first three months. Symptoms vary but can include anxiety, depression and forgetfulness.
Greene Mintz, a clinical social worker has worked alongside Relocation Stress Syndrome patients for many years and says, ““The effects of stress on the mind and body are well known. This particular stress is a little bit different in that it is so easily misdiagnosed as a problem to do with aging. When people have stress, they tend to get angry or irritable, they can’t focus, they can’t think clearly, they have trouble making decisions. These are all also symptoms of dementia.”
It is important to avoid a misdiagnosis of dementia, signs to look prior to your senior loved one moving are:
6 Tips to Help a Loved One With Memory Loss Adjust to a New Community
https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/adjust-to-community-with-memory-loss
By Sherry ChristiansenApril 4, 2018
Nursing Home Operators May Be Fined If They Fail To Report Abuse
By Caroline Egan. Jan 12, 2021
The aged care watchdog may be given additional powers that allow it to impose fines on providers that fail to comply with new rules about reporting neglect and abuse in aged care homes. The proposal to increase the powers of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which will be debated when parliament resumes next month, comes as data reveals an estimated 39.2 per cent of aged care residents experience some form of abuse.
The Scheme will be rolled out in two stages, first in April 2021, when incidents that result in physical or psychological injury or illness requiring onsite medical or psychological treatment will have to be reported.
From 1 April 2021, aged care providers will have added responsibilities to identify, record, manage and resolve all incidents of abuse that occur in their homes. Providers will be required to report “serious incidents” to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, including alleged, suspected or known incidents. “Reportable incidents” will include various categories of abuse and neglect, including unreasonable use of force, inappropriate sexual conduct, psychological or emotional abuse, stealing by a staff member, inappropriate use of physical or chemical restraint, neglect, and unexpected death.
And then from mid-2021, the Scheme will be expanded to include all other serious incidents. Providers are being asked to keep detailed records of a broader range of incidents from 1 April 2021.
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There are Government supports are for older people who wish to move out of their residential aged care facility and into the community to be with their family if they have concerns around COVID-19.
There will be an additional $71.4 million for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) to assist older people moving into the community.
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/talking-aged-care/government-commits-further-funding-to-aged-care
Emergency leave available for aged care residents
The Government adopted new emergency leave legislation amendments this week, which allows for older residents to move out of their aged care during a crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, without being penalised.
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/talking-aged-care/emergency-leave-available-for-aged-care-residents
Older Australians who left aged care from 1 April 2020 will be eligible for emergency leave, so residents who moved out of their facility earlier in the year because of COVID-19 are not at a disadvantage.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, says the culmination of bushfires last year and the current pandemic has put a spotlight on leave entitlements during a crisis for aged care residents.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, some aged care residents have temporarily relocated to live with family, to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus," says Minister Colbeck. "Most of these residents are likely to exhaust their 52 days before the pandemic passes, leading to extra costs on them or their families. "The Government recognises that this isn’t fair or desirable. We have amended the Aged Care Act to give aged care residents the option of taking additional leave during an emergency."
Under the current legislation, residents are able to take up to 52 days in a year for non-hospital related social leave, or for other reasons.
However, if a resident takes more than 52 days social leave, the Government will not provide a subsidy to the aged care home for the individual who has taken extra days.
Usually, this cost is passed on to the resident, but this new emergency leave will protect older residents who feel safer outside of their facility.
The Government will continue to pay the residential care subsidy for residents on emergency leave so that the resident and the provider are both not left at a financial disadvantage, explains Minister Colbeck.
Additionally, this emergency leave is available for specific regions that are in crisis. For instance, if there is an isolated COVID-19 outbreak or in major bushfire affected areas. Minister Colbeck says, "This initiative will allow permanent aged care residents and their families to make their own decisions about personal safety in emergency situations, without suffering financially as a result.
"It also means that after an emergency, residents can use their social leave entitlement for normal visiting and special events with their families and friends, which are so important for emotional and mental health."
While this new emergency leave is available to residents worried in aged care facilities, the industry has been very open about the fact that residential aged care and home care services are safe to receive, and is vital for some older people who have difficult care needs.
Our Royal Commission Coverage: This Week Mental Health Is Addressed
By Caroline Egan. Jul 16, 2020
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety resumed hearings on Wednesday after breaking due to the pandemic.
The hearings this week are about the availability of mental, oral and dental, and allied health services in aged care facilities.
The focus on Wednesday was on the availability of psychological support, and about proposed future models that could improve services. The commission heard about the difficulties aged care residents have receiving the appropriate support for psychological illnesses.
These services are sometimes referred to as the “missing middle”, the royal commission heard: “too complex for a general practitioner to manage but they do not meet the criteria for access to an Older Persons Mental Health service”, counsel assisting the royal commission, Richard Knowles SC, said in his opening remarks.
------------------------------------
COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gain Enhanced Access to Supercomputers
Federal agencies, academic institutions, and industrial partners are joining forces to combat COVID-19 using artificial intelligence.
Lisa Winter Mar 27, 2020
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The All Important Question: WHEN is it the time to place my loved one?
Unfortunately there is no quick and easy answer to this one BUT, if you are at the stage where YOU are asking the question; then the Answer is NOW.
Click here to be redirected to Contacts to go to for Help. You are looking under Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). Alternatively, you can Phone 1800 200 422.
Even if there are no immediate vacancies, visit and put their name down. Then, when they ring you with a Vacancy, you can say, "Well, no not yet." OR "Oh, Thank you." It is Your Choice! Do not be bullied, do not be rushed, but if YOU feel the time is NOW, it is.
Click here to find the latest Residential Care vacancies - like NOW.
STEPS TO ENTER AN AGED CARE HOME
This booklet explains how older people can access care in an aged care home, the process for moving into an aged care home and what to expect when you are there. You should read this booklet if you (or someone you care for) have been assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) member for care in an aged care home.
Otherwise call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or go to www.myagedcare.gov.au for information on the assessment process and eligibility for the different types of government funded aged care:
Short-term restorative care
Short-term care services in the home or residential care settings for situations such as restorative care (return to independence). Residential aged care Personal and nursing care in aged care homes for older people unable to live independently in their own homes. This also includes residential respite for short stays in an aged care home. More complex support at home Four levels of consumer directed coordinated packages of services through the Home Care Packages Program including personal care, support services and nursing, allied health and clinical services.
Entry-level support at home
Ongoing or short-term care and support services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme including help with housework, personal care, meals and food preparation, transport, shopping, allied health, social support and planned respite (giving your carer a break).
More complex support at home
Four levels of consumer directed coordinated packages of services through the Home Care Packages Program including personal care, support services and nursing, allied health and clinical services.
Residential aged care
Personal and nursing care in aged care homes for older people unable to live independently in their own homes. This also includes residential respite for short stays in an aged care home.
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How do I get help to talk to My Aged Care?
If you are an older person who would like a family member, carer or someone else you trust, to help you find government subsidised aged care, setting them up as a representative with My Aged Care might be a good option for you.
https://agedcare.health.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1426/f/documents/06_2017/fact_sheet_rep_for_consumer_170627_v0.7.pdf
And when that times comes, and your loved one Needs to go into care, remember that there IS help... Family and friends may be a carer for an older person needing palliative care. They provide physical and emotional support and assistance. However, caring can be physically and emotionally demanding. Carers and families can benefit from support and assistance to enable them to continue caring.
Questions for carers to ask the team caring for your loved one
Some of the questions found here may not be relevant to the stage of care of your friend or family member. But it is always good to clarify and ask any questions of the team caring for your loved one that you may have. No question is ever a wrong question, and your health care provider will always aim to answer all the questions you may have.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recognising end of life during COVID-19
Most people with COVID-19 experience mild illness and recover, but for some people symptoms are more severe, may require medical attention, and could result in death. For those with moderate or severe disease, the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce has developed living guidelines to support clinical care in Australia.
Caring for older people with COVID-19 at the end of life is further discussed in the free ELDAC webinar series for residential aged care and home care settings. Replays are available now.
For updates on COVID-19, see the ELDAC webpage: Being prepared for COVID-19.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission 1800 550 552
regarding a Commonwealth-subsidised residential or home-based aged care service
03 January 2020 https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/about-us
Minister Wyatt announced that the Complaints Commissioner and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency will form part of the New Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in January 2019. "I am confident the new Commission will better target sub-standard care. It will be a central point to identify failures, highlights quality concerns and have them rectified,” he says.
The Commission replaces the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. Combining these functions into one independent agency strengthens the focus on consumers, streamlines regulation, supports better engagement with consumers and providers, and promotes transparency.
The new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission began on January 1st, 2019.
Who do the Act and Rules apply to?
The new Rules look quite different due to the combined functions under the Act. However, while the Rules have combined a number of previously separate legislative instruments, the core processes are preserved.
Factsheets & FAQs
Aged Care - Flexible
Aged Care – Home and Community
Aged Care – Residential
Assessing services
It will have a budget of almost $300 million over four years, employing dozens of additional senior compliance officers. The new Commission will immediately absorb the roles of the current Aged Care Complaints Commissioner and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and, from January 2020, also take over the Department of Health's aged-care compliance responsibilities.
The next hearing will be held in Adelaide from Monday 18 March. It will focus on home care and the community. The following round, focusing on quality, safety and dementia, will be held in Sydney on 6 May.
Key Changes under the new Commission Act and Rules.
The new commissioners of the Royal Commission in to Aged Care Quality and Safety has written to the nation’s top 100 aged care operators, asking them to self-report on details of their operations. The request for information is the first step in the Royal Commission’s information gathering process. The deadline for providing information is January. Smaller operators will also be contacted, and will be given a later deadline.
The letters mark what will be a huge information-gathering process involving every aged care facility in Australia, and also begins a process of review for all operators of their own individual systems and processes.
08 January 2019
Following the first round of hearings, the Royal Commission released its background papers on Australia’s current aged care system.
Background Papers 1-19 is called Navigating the maze: an overview of Australia’s current aged care system. It outlines different aspects of the aged care system, the services currently being delivered in Australia and the areas in need of substantial reform.
Background Paper 1 - Navigating the maze: an overview of Australia's current aged care system
Background Paper 2 - Medium- and long-term pressures on the system: the changing demographics and dynamics of aged care
Background Paper 3 - Dementia in Australia: nature, prevalence and care
Background Paper 4 - Restrictive practices in residential aged care in Australia
Background Paper 5 - Advance care planning in Australia
Background Paper 6 - Carers of older Australians
Background Paper 7 - Legislative framework for Aged Care Quality and Safety regulation
Background Paper 8 – A History of Aged Care Reviews
Consultation Paper 1 – Program Design in Aged Care 24 January 2020
Paper 19...https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-19-does-quality-residential-aged-care-vary-residents-financial-means
06 February 2021
Paper 18...https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-18-hospitalisations-australian-aged-care-201415-201819
02 February 2021
Paper 13... https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-13-inside-system-aged-care-residents-perspectives
21 October 2020
Research Paper 14 - https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-14-inside-system-home-and-respite-care-clients-perspectives
https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications
Analysis of Consumer Experience Report data
The Commission has just released a new report detailing and analysing what consumers are saying about the quality of care in residential aged care services.
17 September 2019
A new charter for stronger aged care rights
Released under the federal government’s aged care quality and safety reforms, providers will be bound by law to provide a signed copy of the Charter of Rights to all residents and care recipients. The option for the consumer or an authorized representative to co-sign the document has also been introduced.
Providers have between three and six months to inform customers of their legal rights. Residential aged care providers have until 30 September 2019, while home care providers - until 31 December 2019.
Know your rights: Aged Care Quality Standards and Charter of Aged Care Rights - started last July
https://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/2019/07/know-your-rights-aged-care-quality-standards-and-charter-of-aged-care-rights-start-this-month/
The charter of rights replaces the existing User Rights Principles 2014, which have four separate charters dealing with the provision of aged care.
The government has sought to address duplication issues within the existing charter and, according to the government website, questions existed as to “why some aged care recipients are not afforded the same rights as others”.
“Senior Australians must be treated with dignity and respect – this is now explicitly set out in our law,” Minister Colbeck said.
The new single charter includes 14 simple rights which were developed in late 2018 during a five-week public consultation period.
Our new rights in aged care are:
All consumers of aged care must be given a copy of the charter and the provider must assist them in understanding their rights. They, or an authorised person, must sign a copy.
01 July 2019
As a royal commission into Australia’s aged care industry kicks into gear, the federal government has announced funding for the sector to the tune of $662 million. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday announced every Australian living in residential aged care will have an extra $1800 spent on their care over the next 18 months, with $320 million set to be rolled out to residential facilities.
The funding package includes:
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Medical Care of Older Persons in Residential Aged Care Facilities - Introduction
https://www.racgp.org.au/silverbook
"Since the 1999 third edition of the ‘silver book’, several trends have presented challenges to GPs providing care to patients in residential aged care. The ageing of the population has increased the demand on the health care system overall. Historically, a reduction in the number of hospital beds and length of stay, and a move toward community based care has been the trend. In recent times, however, the number of hospital beds has increased slightly and the average length of stay has decreased. People now enter residential care with higher levels of dependency and with more complex medical needs in relation to chronic illness, physical disability and dementia. The number of GP attendances to RACFs has been decreasing over recent times due to factors such as workforce shortages, high GP workloads, and part time work preferences."
With Sincere Thanks for this 'Silver Book'. © The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. All rights reserved. It is not often that such a Valuable Resource is available to help the Carer in their efforts to care for, and help their loved one. J
Medical care of older persons in residential aged care facilities (Silver Book) aims to provide GPs and other health professionals including residential aged care nurses, with a resource for delivering quality health care in residential aged care facilities.
Published April 2006.
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Do have a look at http://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/ and explore their articles. In making your final decision, YOU need all the help you can get. Of course, if you or your loved one are unhappy, you can look around again and Change Accommodations. It is YOUR choice.
The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency is committed to supporting consumer choice, and promoting continuous improvement in quality in aged care service provision.
We interview more than 50,000 residents of aged care homes each year as part of our assessment against standards for the quality of care and services in aged care.
For more information, please browse the links below and see About Us.
http://www.aacqa.gov.au/consumers
https://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/2021/02/finding-out-what-matters-most-to-residents-of-aged-care/
1 July 2021
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/search/nursing-homes/gold-coast-region-qld
For your loved one to make that 'Final' decision to move into a nursing home.
https://hellocare.com.au/relocation-stress-syndrome/
According to a paper commissioned by Moves For Seniors, Relocation Stress Syndrome is likely to be displayed right before a move and within the first three months. Symptoms vary but can include anxiety, depression and forgetfulness.
Greene Mintz, a clinical social worker has worked alongside Relocation Stress Syndrome patients for many years and says, ““The effects of stress on the mind and body are well known. This particular stress is a little bit different in that it is so easily misdiagnosed as a problem to do with aging. When people have stress, they tend to get angry or irritable, they can’t focus, they can’t think clearly, they have trouble making decisions. These are all also symptoms of dementia.”
It is important to avoid a misdiagnosis of dementia, signs to look prior to your senior loved one moving are:
- changes in cognition,
- altered eating and
- sleeping habits and
- in particular a new sense of unease,
- insecurity or
- lack of trust and
- a decline in self-care.
6 Tips to Help a Loved One With Memory Loss Adjust to a New Community
https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/adjust-to-community-with-memory-loss
By Sherry ChristiansenApril 4, 2018
- Use advocates or navigators offered from hospitals or aged care facilities to assist in the move.
- Involve your senior in the decision-making. If it’s imperative they move into a facility, allow them to be front and centre in deciding which one to attend. Seek out their final agreement on the place.
- Keep your mum or dad in the loop. Let them know exactly what’s occurring. “I don’t believe in infantilizing seniors,” says Greene Mintz. “They are adults and they deserve the dignity of being told honestly what’s going to happen.”
- Acknowledge their feelings. If they are concerned about connecting with fellow residents don’t leap to assuring them of finding friends. Instead acknowledge uncertainty and encourage a positive approach to it, saying “I don’t know who will be there. We’re going to find out. Try to keep an open mind.”
- Validate their emotions. They may be excited, relieved, scared, nervous or terrified. Provide them with the space to go through these feelings, they are all normal reactions.
- However possible, try to the best of your ability to recreate their old home and comforts in their new residence. Taking pictures of bedside table set-ups, top of dressers and the items on them can help in providing a soft landing. Recreating that feeling of home in a new location is paramount to settling in believes Greene Mintz.
Nursing Home Operators May Be Fined If They Fail To Report Abuse
By Caroline Egan. Jan 12, 2021
The aged care watchdog may be given additional powers that allow it to impose fines on providers that fail to comply with new rules about reporting neglect and abuse in aged care homes. The proposal to increase the powers of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which will be debated when parliament resumes next month, comes as data reveals an estimated 39.2 per cent of aged care residents experience some form of abuse.
The Scheme will be rolled out in two stages, first in April 2021, when incidents that result in physical or psychological injury or illness requiring onsite medical or psychological treatment will have to be reported.
From 1 April 2021, aged care providers will have added responsibilities to identify, record, manage and resolve all incidents of abuse that occur in their homes. Providers will be required to report “serious incidents” to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, including alleged, suspected or known incidents. “Reportable incidents” will include various categories of abuse and neglect, including unreasonable use of force, inappropriate sexual conduct, psychological or emotional abuse, stealing by a staff member, inappropriate use of physical or chemical restraint, neglect, and unexpected death.
And then from mid-2021, the Scheme will be expanded to include all other serious incidents. Providers are being asked to keep detailed records of a broader range of incidents from 1 April 2021.
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There are Government supports are for older people who wish to move out of their residential aged care facility and into the community to be with their family if they have concerns around COVID-19.
There will be an additional $71.4 million for the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) to assist older people moving into the community.
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/talking-aged-care/government-commits-further-funding-to-aged-care
Emergency leave available for aged care residents
The Government adopted new emergency leave legislation amendments this week, which allows for older residents to move out of their aged care during a crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, without being penalised.
https://www.agedcareguide.com.au/talking-aged-care/emergency-leave-available-for-aged-care-residents
Older Australians who left aged care from 1 April 2020 will be eligible for emergency leave, so residents who moved out of their facility earlier in the year because of COVID-19 are not at a disadvantage.
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, says the culmination of bushfires last year and the current pandemic has put a spotlight on leave entitlements during a crisis for aged care residents.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, some aged care residents have temporarily relocated to live with family, to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus," says Minister Colbeck. "Most of these residents are likely to exhaust their 52 days before the pandemic passes, leading to extra costs on them or their families. "The Government recognises that this isn’t fair or desirable. We have amended the Aged Care Act to give aged care residents the option of taking additional leave during an emergency."
Under the current legislation, residents are able to take up to 52 days in a year for non-hospital related social leave, or for other reasons.
However, if a resident takes more than 52 days social leave, the Government will not provide a subsidy to the aged care home for the individual who has taken extra days.
Usually, this cost is passed on to the resident, but this new emergency leave will protect older residents who feel safer outside of their facility.
The Government will continue to pay the residential care subsidy for residents on emergency leave so that the resident and the provider are both not left at a financial disadvantage, explains Minister Colbeck.
Additionally, this emergency leave is available for specific regions that are in crisis. For instance, if there is an isolated COVID-19 outbreak or in major bushfire affected areas. Minister Colbeck says, "This initiative will allow permanent aged care residents and their families to make their own decisions about personal safety in emergency situations, without suffering financially as a result.
"It also means that after an emergency, residents can use their social leave entitlement for normal visiting and special events with their families and friends, which are so important for emotional and mental health."
While this new emergency leave is available to residents worried in aged care facilities, the industry has been very open about the fact that residential aged care and home care services are safe to receive, and is vital for some older people who have difficult care needs.
Our Royal Commission Coverage: This Week Mental Health Is Addressed
By Caroline Egan. Jul 16, 2020
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety resumed hearings on Wednesday after breaking due to the pandemic.
The hearings this week are about the availability of mental, oral and dental, and allied health services in aged care facilities.
The focus on Wednesday was on the availability of psychological support, and about proposed future models that could improve services. The commission heard about the difficulties aged care residents have receiving the appropriate support for psychological illnesses.
These services are sometimes referred to as the “missing middle”, the royal commission heard: “too complex for a general practitioner to manage but they do not meet the criteria for access to an Older Persons Mental Health service”, counsel assisting the royal commission, Richard Knowles SC, said in his opening remarks.
------------------------------------
COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gain Enhanced Access to Supercomputers
Federal agencies, academic institutions, and industrial partners are joining forces to combat COVID-19 using artificial intelligence.
Lisa Winter Mar 27, 2020
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The All Important Question: WHEN is it the time to place my loved one?
Unfortunately there is no quick and easy answer to this one BUT, if you are at the stage where YOU are asking the question; then the Answer is NOW.
Click here to be redirected to Contacts to go to for Help. You are looking under Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). Alternatively, you can Phone 1800 200 422.
Even if there are no immediate vacancies, visit and put their name down. Then, when they ring you with a Vacancy, you can say, "Well, no not yet." OR "Oh, Thank you." It is Your Choice! Do not be bullied, do not be rushed, but if YOU feel the time is NOW, it is.
Click here to find the latest Residential Care vacancies - like NOW.
STEPS TO ENTER AN AGED CARE HOME
This booklet explains how older people can access care in an aged care home, the process for moving into an aged care home and what to expect when you are there. You should read this booklet if you (or someone you care for) have been assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) member for care in an aged care home.
Otherwise call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or go to www.myagedcare.gov.au for information on the assessment process and eligibility for the different types of government funded aged care:
Short-term restorative care
Short-term care services in the home or residential care settings for situations such as restorative care (return to independence). Residential aged care Personal and nursing care in aged care homes for older people unable to live independently in their own homes. This also includes residential respite for short stays in an aged care home. More complex support at home Four levels of consumer directed coordinated packages of services through the Home Care Packages Program including personal care, support services and nursing, allied health and clinical services.
Entry-level support at home
Ongoing or short-term care and support services through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme including help with housework, personal care, meals and food preparation, transport, shopping, allied health, social support and planned respite (giving your carer a break).
More complex support at home
Four levels of consumer directed coordinated packages of services through the Home Care Packages Program including personal care, support services and nursing, allied health and clinical services.
Residential aged care
Personal and nursing care in aged care homes for older people unable to live independently in their own homes. This also includes residential respite for short stays in an aged care home.
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How do I get help to talk to My Aged Care?
If you are an older person who would like a family member, carer or someone else you trust, to help you find government subsidised aged care, setting them up as a representative with My Aged Care might be a good option for you.
https://agedcare.health.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1426/f/documents/06_2017/fact_sheet_rep_for_consumer_170627_v0.7.pdf
And when that times comes, and your loved one Needs to go into care, remember that there IS help... Family and friends may be a carer for an older person needing palliative care. They provide physical and emotional support and assistance. However, caring can be physically and emotionally demanding. Carers and families can benefit from support and assistance to enable them to continue caring.
Questions for carers to ask the team caring for your loved one
Some of the questions found here may not be relevant to the stage of care of your friend or family member. But it is always good to clarify and ask any questions of the team caring for your loved one that you may have. No question is ever a wrong question, and your health care provider will always aim to answer all the questions you may have.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recognising end of life during COVID-19
Most people with COVID-19 experience mild illness and recover, but for some people symptoms are more severe, may require medical attention, and could result in death. For those with moderate or severe disease, the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce has developed living guidelines to support clinical care in Australia.
Caring for older people with COVID-19 at the end of life is further discussed in the free ELDAC webinar series for residential aged care and home care settings. Replays are available now.
For updates on COVID-19, see the ELDAC webpage: Being prepared for COVID-19.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission 1800 550 552
regarding a Commonwealth-subsidised residential or home-based aged care service
03 January 2020 https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/about-us
Minister Wyatt announced that the Complaints Commissioner and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency will form part of the New Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in January 2019. "I am confident the new Commission will better target sub-standard care. It will be a central point to identify failures, highlights quality concerns and have them rectified,” he says.
The Commission replaces the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. Combining these functions into one independent agency strengthens the focus on consumers, streamlines regulation, supports better engagement with consumers and providers, and promotes transparency.
The new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission began on January 1st, 2019.
Who do the Act and Rules apply to?
- Approved providers of residential aged care services, home care services and short-term restorative care services.
- Service providers of Commonwealth-funded aged care services (this includes Commonwealth Home Support Programme and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Care Program (NATSIFACP) services).
The new Rules look quite different due to the combined functions under the Act. However, while the Rules have combined a number of previously separate legislative instruments, the core processes are preserved.
Factsheets & FAQs
Aged Care - Flexible
Aged Care – Home and Community
Aged Care – Residential
Assessing services
It will have a budget of almost $300 million over four years, employing dozens of additional senior compliance officers. The new Commission will immediately absorb the roles of the current Aged Care Complaints Commissioner and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and, from January 2020, also take over the Department of Health's aged-care compliance responsibilities.
The next hearing will be held in Adelaide from Monday 18 March. It will focus on home care and the community. The following round, focusing on quality, safety and dementia, will be held in Sydney on 6 May.
Key Changes under the new Commission Act and Rules.
The new commissioners of the Royal Commission in to Aged Care Quality and Safety has written to the nation’s top 100 aged care operators, asking them to self-report on details of their operations. The request for information is the first step in the Royal Commission’s information gathering process. The deadline for providing information is January. Smaller operators will also be contacted, and will be given a later deadline.
The letters mark what will be a huge information-gathering process involving every aged care facility in Australia, and also begins a process of review for all operators of their own individual systems and processes.
08 January 2019
Following the first round of hearings, the Royal Commission released its background papers on Australia’s current aged care system.
Background Papers 1-19 is called Navigating the maze: an overview of Australia’s current aged care system. It outlines different aspects of the aged care system, the services currently being delivered in Australia and the areas in need of substantial reform.
Background Paper 1 - Navigating the maze: an overview of Australia's current aged care system
Background Paper 2 - Medium- and long-term pressures on the system: the changing demographics and dynamics of aged care
Background Paper 3 - Dementia in Australia: nature, prevalence and care
Background Paper 4 - Restrictive practices in residential aged care in Australia
Background Paper 5 - Advance care planning in Australia
Background Paper 6 - Carers of older Australians
Background Paper 7 - Legislative framework for Aged Care Quality and Safety regulation
Background Paper 8 – A History of Aged Care Reviews
Consultation Paper 1 – Program Design in Aged Care 24 January 2020
Paper 19...https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-19-does-quality-residential-aged-care-vary-residents-financial-means
06 February 2021
Paper 18...https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-18-hospitalisations-australian-aged-care-201415-201819
02 February 2021
Paper 13... https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-13-inside-system-aged-care-residents-perspectives
21 October 2020
Research Paper 14 - https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/research-paper-14-inside-system-home-and-respite-care-clients-perspectives
https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/publications
Analysis of Consumer Experience Report data
The Commission has just released a new report detailing and analysing what consumers are saying about the quality of care in residential aged care services.
17 September 2019
A new charter for stronger aged care rights
Released under the federal government’s aged care quality and safety reforms, providers will be bound by law to provide a signed copy of the Charter of Rights to all residents and care recipients. The option for the consumer or an authorized representative to co-sign the document has also been introduced.
Providers have between three and six months to inform customers of their legal rights. Residential aged care providers have until 30 September 2019, while home care providers - until 31 December 2019.
Know your rights: Aged Care Quality Standards and Charter of Aged Care Rights - started last July
https://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/2019/07/know-your-rights-aged-care-quality-standards-and-charter-of-aged-care-rights-start-this-month/
The charter of rights replaces the existing User Rights Principles 2014, which have four separate charters dealing with the provision of aged care.
The government has sought to address duplication issues within the existing charter and, according to the government website, questions existed as to “why some aged care recipients are not afforded the same rights as others”.
“Senior Australians must be treated with dignity and respect – this is now explicitly set out in our law,” Minister Colbeck said.
The new single charter includes 14 simple rights which were developed in late 2018 during a five-week public consultation period.
Our new rights in aged care are:
- safe and high-quality care and services
- be treated with dignity and respect
- have my identity, culture and diversity valued and supported
- live without abuse and neglect
- be informed about my care and services in a way I understand
- access all information about myself, including information about my rights, care and services
- have control over and make choices about my care, personal and social life, including where the choices involve personal risk
- have control over, and make decisions about, the personal aspects of my daily life, financial affairs and possessions
- my independence
- be listened to and understood
- have a person of my choice, including an aged care advocate, support me or speak on my behalf
- complain free from reprisal, and to have my complaints dealt with fairly and promptly
- personal privacy and to have my personal information protected
- exercise my rights without it adversely affecting the way I am treated
All consumers of aged care must be given a copy of the charter and the provider must assist them in understanding their rights. They, or an authorised person, must sign a copy.
01 July 2019
As a royal commission into Australia’s aged care industry kicks into gear, the federal government has announced funding for the sector to the tune of $662 million. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday announced every Australian living in residential aged care will have an extra $1800 spent on their care over the next 18 months, with $320 million set to be rolled out to residential facilities.
The funding package includes:
- $282.4 million for 10,000 home care packages across all levels
- A $320 million general subsidy boost in 2018-19 for residential aged care services
- A $4.2 million mandatory national aged care quality indicator program
- $7.7 million to enhance the safety, quality and integrity of home care
- $35.7 million to increase home care supplements for dementia and cognition and veterans
- A $4.6 million trial of a new residential care funding tool to replace the Aged Care Funding Instrument
- A new $7.4 million business advisory service for both residential and home care providers to help them improve their operations and share best practice.
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Medical Care of Older Persons in Residential Aged Care Facilities - Introduction
https://www.racgp.org.au/silverbook
"Since the 1999 third edition of the ‘silver book’, several trends have presented challenges to GPs providing care to patients in residential aged care. The ageing of the population has increased the demand on the health care system overall. Historically, a reduction in the number of hospital beds and length of stay, and a move toward community based care has been the trend. In recent times, however, the number of hospital beds has increased slightly and the average length of stay has decreased. People now enter residential care with higher levels of dependency and with more complex medical needs in relation to chronic illness, physical disability and dementia. The number of GP attendances to RACFs has been decreasing over recent times due to factors such as workforce shortages, high GP workloads, and part time work preferences."
With Sincere Thanks for this 'Silver Book'. © The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. All rights reserved. It is not often that such a Valuable Resource is available to help the Carer in their efforts to care for, and help their loved one. J
Medical care of older persons in residential aged care facilities (Silver Book) aims to provide GPs and other health professionals including residential aged care nurses, with a resource for delivering quality health care in residential aged care facilities.
Published April 2006.
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Do have a look at http://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/ and explore their articles. In making your final decision, YOU need all the help you can get. Of course, if you or your loved one are unhappy, you can look around again and Change Accommodations. It is YOUR choice.
The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency is committed to supporting consumer choice, and promoting continuous improvement in quality in aged care service provision.
We interview more than 50,000 residents of aged care homes each year as part of our assessment against standards for the quality of care and services in aged care.
For more information, please browse the links below and see About Us.
http://www.aacqa.gov.au/consumers
https://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/2021/02/finding-out-what-matters-most-to-residents-of-aged-care/
1 July 2021