Information for the Aged Care Sector Issue 2021/1

Published 11th February 2021

Applications for the 2020 Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR) now open

The 2020 ACAR application period is open from 18 December 2020 until 18 March 2021.

The 2020 ACAR offers:

• 2,000 residential care places, prioritising applications that demonstrate they can deliver care immediately (‘bed-ready’) or within an 18 month period
• 1,028 short-term restorative care (STRC) places
• up to $150 million in capital grants for residential aged care.

Download the Essential Guide, application forms and resource documents from the department’s website.

All ACAR applications must be received by the department before 11:59pm AEDT on 18 March 2021.

Aged Care Voluntary Industry Code of Practice

The Aged Care Workforce Industry Council (ACWIC) invites all providers, consumers and workers to pledge their support for the Aged Care Voluntary Industry Code of Practice (the Code). The Code is a first for the industry; a single code for all aged care organisations, workers and consumers.

The Code clearly outlines seven principles providers can follow to demonstrate that the industry is committed, accountable and dedicated to improvement. It is developed by industry for an industry that is committed to taking practical steps so older Australians can experience a world class aged care system.

Consumers can look to the Code as a way of understanding how their provider is improving its aged care services and supports.

Pledge your support now on the ACWIC website.

Centrelink and aged care nominee forms have changed

Services Australia has simplified the Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf (SS313) form. Customers now use this form to nominate someone to act on their behalf for both Centrelink correspondence and aged care costs.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) income support recipients use the Aged Care Request for a nominee for DVA customers (AC019) form to nominate someone to act on their behalf for aged care costs.

Please dispose of copies of the following forms stored before 11 November 2020, as they may not be accepted for processing:

• Aged Care Appointment of a Nominee (AC019)
• Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf (SS313)
• Aged Care Calculation of your cost of care forms (SA456, SA457, SA485).

Please direct customers to the new forms.

These improvements are part of the changes to Centrelink and aged care nominee arrangements.

My Aged Care representatives are not affected.

Serious Incident Response Scheme – how to report an incident

The Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) aims to reduce abuse and neglect in aged care homes. From 1 April 2021, subject to agreement by Parliament, providers of residential aged care must report all 'Priority 1' incidents within 24 hours. Reporting of ‘Priority 2’ incidents within 30 days begins in October 2021. For more information visit the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission's website.

Providers will need to report a wider range of incidents under SIRS than previous arrangements. This is likely to increase the number of incident reports providers must submit. From 1 April 2021, providers will report incidents using a new tile on the My Aged Care Provider Portal. Providers should make sure enough staff have access to the portal to submit reports on time. For information on accessing the My Aged Care Provider Portal, including easy to use guides, visit the department’s website.

Source:
Unknown Author, 2021, Department of Health (https://www.health.gov.au/)