A new arrangement for home and community care and specialist disability services will come into effect from 1 July 2018, with the Commonwealth Government assuming full funding, policy and operational responsibility for these services, bringing Western Australia into...
ageing and aged care
Unsigned Resident Agreements: what does this mean for aged care providers?
Aged Care Act requirements for Resident Agreements The Aged Care Act 1997 (Act) says a provider must give all prospective residents or their representatives an accommodation/resident agreement (Agreement) prior to entering care. The Agreement must set out that the...
Aged Care Law Reforms – Home Care Packages and Exit Fees
Reforms to Aged Care legislation taking effect from 27 February 2017 will see home care packages moving with the consumer if they change home care providers. These reforms are part of the first stage of the Commonwealth Government’s reforms to the home care system....
Notifiable Data Breaches – New reporting obligations proposed for entities under the Privacy Act
The Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Bill 2016 (‘the Bill’) was introduced in the Australian Parliament on 19 October 2016 and is currently before the House of Representatives. The Bill proposes mandatory data breach notification provisions for agencies,...
Bleach treatment of elderly patient leads to disciplinary action
A NSW Professional Standards Committee recently found a Registered Nurse guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct in relation to a complaint about her care and treatment of a patient in an Aged Care Service. The patient was an elderly lady with deteriorating...
Nurses disciplined for using restraints on vulnerable patient with dementia
The patient was initially restrained for some two hours in the Ward’s lounge room. Thereafter while he was still being restrained in a chair by means of a pelvic posey, the two nurses used a second pelvic posey to fasten the chair to railing in a corridor near the...
David Tune to Lead Major Review of Aged Care Reforms
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ken Wyatt AM, MP announced the appointment of David Tune AO PSM to lead the Aged Care Legislated Review. The changes announced to aged care in 2012 included a comprehensive review of the aged care sector in 2016-17. This...
Department of Health provides clarity on fees
A recent update from the Department of Health has flagged that it is now aware that an increasing number of aged care providers are or are proposing to charge additional service fees to residents. In response to this the Department has advised that such fees “would...