Aged Care Quality Bulletin #68 - August 2024
Commissioner’s message
This month we released our Regulatory Strategy for 2024–25. This is a foundational document for the Commission, as it underpins every regulatory action we take.
We are committed to continuous improvement in the way that we regulate. The revisions to our Regulatory Strategy will improve the way we work and better align our approach with the anticipated new Aged Care Act and its rights-based framework.
The Regulatory Strategy describes how we will deliver on our commitment to protect older people, and how we hold providers and workers to account. It sets out for providers and workers what we expect from them and how we will engage with them. Importantly, it also explains what older people and their families, as well as providers and workers, can expect from us.
It describes how we are:
taking a rights-based, person-focused approach to regulation
using a range of regulatory tools to hold providers and workers to account for the care they provide
using data-driven surveillance to detect, assess and respond to risk
building sector capability through engagement and education
supervising all providers to monitor and identify risks and escalating the level of supervision for high-risk providers
engaging proactively with the sector to prevent failures in care
incorporating principles of restorative engagement into our complaint-handling approach
building trust in our capability as regulator.
Founded on best-practice principles, the Strategy describes how we aim to be fair, balanced and effective in all that we do. In addition to presenting on elements of the Strategy at a range of sector events, we have consulted with a range of stakeholders including the Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), the Council on the Ageing (COTA) and industrial associations.
This is an interim strategy for 2024–2025 that we will update annually, including ahead of the anticipated introduction of the new Aged Care Act.
If you missed it, you can watch on demand our July webinar A new regulatory strategy for aged care, where we introduced the strategy in detail.
Also in this edition, in recognition of Speech Pathology Week (25–31 August in 2024), we present information on improving aged care with speech pathology: why it matters and how it helps.
Aged care reform update
Public consultation summary report: strengthened Standards guidance resources
The Commission has published our report on the outcomes of our public consultation on the draft guidance resources for the new strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
Our public consultation was open from 6 February to 19 May this year. It sought feedback from the sector on a suite of draft guidance resources for providers and workers. We received feedback through written submissions, surveys and roundtable discussions.
The report provides a summary of:
the feedback we received
how we reviewed feedback
the 5 key things we learned
how we’re using your feedback.
Your contributions are helping us to improve the guidance resources to make sure that they are more relevant, easier to use and focused on the practical application of the strengthened Standards.
We are committed to supporting the sector to be ready for the strengthened Standards. We aim to release improved guidance for providers towards the end of 2024.
While we update the resources, the draft guidance material is available through our Quality Standards Guidance Tool. You can access the resources that are relevant to your service type.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to give feedback. Your input will help to improve the guidance material to support you to meet your obligations under the new Aged Care Act.
Planning for the move to provider registration categories under the new Act
The Department of Health and Aged Care (department) is preparing government-funded aged care providers for the new registration system expected to be introduced in the new Aged Care Act.
When the new Act is proclaimed, the department will automatically set up existing providers as registered providers in the new registration categories. Each provider’s category or categories will be based on the services they provide. There will be 6 registration categories.
To make sure providers are registered in the right categories, the department will contact them to review and confirm their details. Providers should expect to hear from the department from September onwards.
You can find more information on the department's website including how the department is preparing providers for the new regulatory model.
Stolen Generations Redress Scheme for people in aged care
The Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme is an Australian Government program that provides support to survivors of the Stolen Generations.
If you’re an aged care provider supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may be eligible for redress, please share information with them about the scheme.
Stolen Generation survivors are now aged 50 and over. This means they’re eligible for aged care services or may already be receiving aged care.
Stolen Generations survivors were removed as children from their families and communities. This redress scheme is for survivors who were removed from the Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory. They can be living anywhere now.
Applications close on 28 February 2026.
You can find more information on the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme website or by emailing help@territoriesredress.gov.au.
A little yarn goes a long way
Our fact sheet A Little Yarn Goes a Long Way explains the support available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older people, their friends and family to help them resolve concerns about aged care services. It also explains why it’s so important to raise these concerns.
This resource has now been updated to describe what good aged care means. It also covers why it’s not only important but okay to speak up and who you can talk to when you are worried about the safety or quality of aged care services.
The updated English version is now available on our website and will be translated into a number of local languages.
Check out our First Nations Hub for more information and resources to support older people, providers and workers.
24/7 registered nurse coverage tool
The Department of Health and Aged Care (department) has created a 24/7 registered nurse (RN) coverage tool. The tool helps residential aged care providers with their monthly 24/7 RN reporting.
The 24/7 RN coverage tool highlights times which aren’t covered by an RN shift. This can help providers to spot any gaps in care. It also supports them with their care time reporting assessment and to make sure their monthly reports are accurate.
Providers must use the Government Provider Management System to report on their 24/7 RN coverage.
The 24/7 RN tool can be downloaded on the department’s website.
If you have any questions about care time reporting assessments, please email ANACCReportingAssessments@health.gov.au.
Residents’ Experience Survey results show improvements
The 2022 and 2023 Residents’ Experience Survey results just published by the Department of Health and Aged Care (department) show that aged care in Australia is improving.
Over the last 2 years, the independent survey team contracted by the department have talked to almost 75,000 older people across the country. They heard about their experiences living in aged care homes.
The results showed real improvements between 2022 and 2023. In the 2023 survey, 85% of residents said they would recommend their aged care home to someone they know.
Residents said that safety, respect and kindness were the most positive parts of their experience. Autonomy – the extent to which they can live independently – showed the most improvement. In contrast, while 70% of residents said they were satisfied with the food in their home, it’s clear that a number of residents want to see improvements in the food quality, service, quantity and variety.
It's noted that to improve food in aged care, the Commission has set up a new Food, Nutrition and Dining Advisory Support Unit. In addition to providing expert advice to callers to the Commission’s Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline (1800 844 044), the Unit has supported visits by Commission assessors to 720 aged care homes across the country to assess food, nutrition and dining for residents.
With respect to the Residents’ Experience Survey, its findings measure satisfaction over time, and help providers understand what people like about their aged care home and what could improve. The findings of the survey also help calculate the Residents’ Experience Star Rating for each home.
You can read the full report on the department's website.
The 2024 survey is underway and will be finished in October 2024. Find out more about the Residents’ Experience Survey.
Food, nutrition and dining
Improving aged care with speech pathology: Why it matters and how it helps
Speech pathologists are essential in diagnosing and treating communication and eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties that commonly affect older adults.
In turn, they help older people to have healthier, more fulfilling lives. Speech pathologists can also support carers and healthcare providers to deliver care that is:
comprehensive
person-centred
effective.
Communicate your way
Speech Pathology Week is in August each year (25–31 August in 2024). This year’s theme, ‘Communicate your way’, highlights the different ways that people communicate.
Older people can live with a range of communication difficulties. These difficulties may be due to conditions like hearing loss or dementia. They may also be from language and cultural barriers.
We have found some great examples of how providers are helping residents who find it difficult to communicate to be independent and make their own choices, including:
creating sample plates of each meal so that people can point to the one that they want
using picture boards at dining tables to help people communicate about their meal
working with speech pathologists to train staff to communicate better with residents.
You can read more about these successful examples in our full article.
Clinical update
New report finds older Australians given more antimicrobials than wider community
While overall, Australians are using antimicrobials less than before, there is evidence that these medicines are being prescribed at higher rates for people aged over 65, and even higher rates for people living in aged care homes.
Antimicrobials include all antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitic agents. They’re used to treat and prevent infections caused by microorganisms such as bacteria or mould.
Report findings
These important findings are from a new report by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The report, Antimicrobial use in the Community: 2023, analysed national data on dispensed prescriptions.
Data from the report shows an 11.1% increase in antimicrobial use in residents of aged care homes from 2022 to 2023. It also showed that almost three-quarters of residents were given at least one antimicrobial prescription in 2023.
Antimicrobials and overuse
The more antimicrobials we use, and the more broad-spectrum they are, the more likely it is that microorganisms will develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is a risk to people’s safety. It reduces the number of antimicrobials we can use to treat infections. This means that in the future there may be no effective oral antimicrobial options available.
Taking action
We need to take action to reduce the level of antimicrobials and broad-spectrum antibiotics being given to aged care residents and older people generally.
Combined strategies of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and infection prevention and control are the most effective in reducing antimicrobial use, which in turn prevents and controls AMR.
It’s important to make sure that you use antibiotics appropriately and within the therapeutic guidelines (TG).
Read our full article (including links to further resources) from the Commission’s Chief Clinical Advisor, Dr Mandy Callary.
Australian Dental Health Week 2024
Dental Health Week (5–11 August) shines a spotlight on the importance of keeping our teeth and gums healthy.
Did you know that nearly 60% of Australians over 65 have some form of gum disease? Poor oral health is also linked to serious chronic conditions such as:
heart disease
diabetes
high blood pressure
rheumatoid arthritis
Alzheimer’s.
A 2020 study of over 6,000 people found there is a strong connection between gum disease and dementia. Research also shows that oral health tends to deteriorate just before people move into residential aged care.
Losing a tooth can also make chewing and swallowing more challenging, affecting nutrition and overall wellbeing.
A recent Australian study found that most older people who had just moved into residential care, and still had some of their own teeth, had dental problems. Almost half of these residents had an unsatisfactory oral cleanliness score. Less than half of these were given a dental assessment when they were admitted. About 75% of aged care homes don’t have regular visits by dentists.
Daily oral care for residents is a key part of meeting Aged Care Quality Standard 3 – Personal and Clinical Care.
Poor oral health is an avoidable result of ageing. Residential aged care staff play a vital role in supporting residents’ oral health. This is especially true for those who can’t care for themselves. Encouraging daily oral hygiene can prevent many issues and help residents have a better quality of life.
We have a suite of oral health resources available:
Webinars
Sector Performance Reporting: Joining the dots to detect risk and prevent harm
Tuesday 17 September 2024, 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEST
This is a webinar for aged care providers and those interested in the performance of the aged care sector.
The webinar will look at the results from our next quarterly sector performance report (to be published in early October), including trends over the past 2 years. We will discuss some of the issues we have seen, including common and persistent compliance and complaints issues in both residential care and home services. We will also look at how the Commission is responding to these issues. We’ll explore how providers can look at their own data and performance in the context of the sector performance information, including listening to older people in their care and to their staff, to identify opportunities to improve the quality of their services. We will also hear about how providers can expect us to engage with them when issues are found.
Through the panel discussions, we will aim to help you understand some of the issues highlighted in the sector performance reporting, and how the Commission supports providers to improve their services.
Panel:
Janet Anderson PSM, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner
Lisa Peterson PSM, Deputy Commissioner, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Louise Macleod, Complaints Commissioner, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Peter Edwards, Executive Director, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Anita Francis, Senior Clinical Advisor, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
Registrations are now open.
Recording available – Co-designing aged care with Consumer Advisory Bodies
The recording is now available from our 20 August webinar, Co-designing aged care with Consumer Advisory Bodies. The webinar focused on the specific responsibilities of approved providers around Consumer Advisory Bodies with practical examples showcasing the benefits of co-designing aged care with older people. Hosted by Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM, our panel included:
Eric Grantz, Board President, Kaloma Home for the Aged
Tenneille Aguilar, Chief Executive Officer, Kaloma Home for the Aged
Louise Macleod, Complaints Commissioner, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Offering to establish this body is now a legal requirement for providers. Consumer Advisory Bodies are an important part of good provider governance arrangements that deliver high-quality care for people using aged care services.
Recording available – OPAN webinar: Food for thought: Your rights, your choice
If you missed the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) recent webinar, Food for thought: Your rights, your choice, you can now watch the full recording.
The webinar featured a panel of experts who shared their perspectives and solutions to improve food services in aged care. Hosted by Craig Gear, CEO of OPAN, the panel included:
Maggie Beer, Founder of the Maggie Beer Foundation, known for her advocacy on better food practices in aged care
Rosemary Seam and Danijela Hlis from the OPAN National Older Persons Reference Group added insights into residents' experiences and needs
Jessica Zilujko, Director, Food, Nutrition, and Dining Unit, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, who provided an overview of the Commission’s work to improve food and nutrition in aged care. This included the support available for older people to raise complaints or ask questions about their food, nutrition and dining.
Topics covered included food choice and quality, maintaining appropriate meal timing and temperatures and the benefits of involving residents. Food consistently ranks among the top concerns in residential aged care settings. Factors like choice, quality, quantity, timing and temperature directly affect residents' wellbeing.
Governing for reform
The Governing for Reform Program supports governing body members, leaders and emerging leaders in aged care to improve their corporate and clinical governance capabilities. The program provides governance resources for leaders in aged care. Learning resources include online modules, workshops, printable resources, podcasts and webinars.
The program’s topic guides include information and examples of best practice governance, with case studies, tools and templates that governing body members and executives can use. Visit the Governing for Reform in Aged Care Program for more information about the program and to access the learning materials.
Webinar recording available – Harnessing risk management to achieve better outcomes in aged care
The Governing for Reform webinar series features discussions with experts in governance and leadership. The recording is now available from our most recent webinar, Harnessing risk management to achieve better outcomes in aged care, with:
Sara Blunt, Chief Executive Officer, Kalyra
Natalina Verardi, Chief Legal and Risk Officer/Company Secretary, Villa Maria Catholic Homes
David Martin, Chair, Southern Cross Care SA/NT Vic.
The webinar featured case studies and practical examples of how you can use risk management to drive innovation as well as good governance, and how to build a positive risk culture.
Register now – The role of governing bodies in the new era of aged care, Wednesday 4 September
Registrations are now open for our upcoming webinar on 4 September 2024. This webinar will focus on the approach high-performing governing bodies take to support strategic decision-making for providers now and into the future. Register now.
Training and resources
You can now share Alis content on your learning management system
Aged care providers can now upload learning content from the Aged Care Learning Information Solution (Alis) to their own learning management system (LMS).
Alis is our online learning platform that helps aged care workers and providers understand their obligations to provide safe, high-quality care.
We’ve launched new functionality that allows you to host Alis learning modules on your LMS, making it easier for workers to access.
To use this feature, email education@agedcarequality.gov.au with:
the name of your organisation
the name, position and email of the person managing the learning content.
We’ll send through instructions to get you started and give you access to the shared learning files. Learning files are only available in SCORM v1.2 format.
To register for Alis, go to our website.
Online workshops for approved providers
Places are available for our upcoming workshops in September! Each month, we deliver workshops for people working in the aged care sector. These workshops offer practical tips to support learners to understand how to meet their obligations within their service setting.
Our workshop topics for September are:
Effective incident management systems – understand how to use an incident management system to drive continuous improvement
The Serious Incident Response Scheme – understand your obligations under the SIRS and know how to identify a reportable incident and notify the Commission.
These workshops are delivered by experienced Commission facilitators, with Subject Matter Experts from our regulatory teams on hand to answer your questions.
Places are limited, so head to Workshops | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to learn more or register today!