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Following our successful roundtable series in 2022, the Enriching Life Through Care National Roundtable Program Final Report details key observations and learnings generously shared by more than 320 representatives from a diverse range of residential, in-home and community aged care services.

Revision of the Quality Standards was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The Department of Health and Aged Care is in the process of finalising its review and advising Government of the outcomes including a strengthened set of Quality Standards.

The Department of Health and Aged Care is conducting a public consultation for the revised Aged Care Quality Standards from 17 October – 25 November 2022.

Everyone connected to the aged care sector – aged care recipients, families and carers, providers, workers, experts and peaks – is encouraged to attend the department’s online consultation launch webinar on Monday 17 October, from 1:00–3:00 pm AEDT.

Inadequate wound management is one of the most common clinical complaints received by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission).
This Wound Awareness Week (15–21 August), the Commission is reminding aged care providers of their responsibility to ensure good clinical governance that supports effective wound management.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability identified that psychotropic medicines are being misused and overused, particularly with older people and people with disability. Inappropriate use of psychotropic medicines has been recognised as a safety and quality issue in health care.

The use of psychotropic medicines can be appropriate for treating, or enabling the treatment of, a diagnosed mental disorder or a physical illness or physical condition. However, using psychotropic medicines, such as antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, to calm, soothe, sedate or influence or control the behaviour of people who exhibit behaviours of concern is a restrictive practice and is subject to regulatory oversight.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, presenting ongoing risks to older Australians receiving aged care, the Commission is constantly reassessing its regulatory response to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

In the last few months, the Commission has further refined regulatory processes and is closely monitoring providers to hold them to account for the delivery of safe, quality care to aged care consumers during the current Omicron wave.

The national Aged Care Quality Standards have been in effect since 1 July 2019 following an extensive consultation process.

The Commission is requesting Residential Services complete a Self-Assessment Survey to support COVID-19 preparedness.

The Department of Health has released a suite of eLearning modules, developed specifically for aged care workers. 

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a highly contagious disease that can cause severe illness for older Australians with serious complications including death. The start to this influenza season has seen a high level of influenza activity with recent statistics showing that already at least 54 Australians have died from influenza, of which 42 have been aged 65 and over.