A lack of proper evaluation of federal government-funded programs may be contributing to the significant issues in aged care, experts have said. Of the annual $64bn government funding towards community services programs, including aged care, $61bn was not adequately checked ...
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Aged care facilities’ star rating trending upward
Forty-one more aged care facilities have been awarded top marks in the government's star rating system following its first major update since December. The October to December quarter update revealed an additional 34 facilities received five stars and seven a ...
More »New training to improve safety of psychotropic medications
Researchers have developed new training modules for aged care workers and nurses to reduce medication misuse in restrictive practices in residential aged care. Restrictive practices include the use of medication to sedate people in residential aged care to control movement ...
More »PM defends nursing mandate as more homes close
Australia's Prime Minister has stood firm on his 'ambitious' approach to aged care after a Perth-based provider announced it will shut three of its 12 residential homes by 2024. Brightwater Care Group told ABC it faced severe financial and staffing ...
More »Housing crisis may be exacerbating workforce shortage: report
Australia's soaring rental prices could be preventing aged care workers from taking on jobs in communities that need staff the most, a housing report published last Tuesday found. The 'Priced Out' report by the national housing campaign 'Everybody's Home' revealed rising housing ...
More »Care finder program restores face-to-face support
The federal government has rolled out a new program to help vulnerable people navigate Australia's aged care system. The Care Finder program, launched at the beginning of 2023, was born after Commissioner Lynelle Briggs recognised that some older people could not ...
More »Aged care minister delivers bill to enact inspector general
Aged care minister Anika Wells has introduced legislation before parliament to enshrine the position of inspector-general of aged care into law. Wells delivered the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill 2023 this morning to establish an office that would provide independent oversight of ...
More »‘We want action’: Royal Commission two years on
Two years after the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was handed down, sector advocates are calling for "genuine reform" and for the government to immediately enact a new aged care act. On March 1 ...
More »‘This is just the start’: Anika Wells reflects on Royal Commission
March 1 marks two years since the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s shocking final report was tabled in Parliament. The Royal Commission was a damning assessment of an aged care system in crisis. After years of ignorance, ...
More »Experts raise ‘significant concerns’ around revised aged care standards
Aged care experts have raised significant concerns around the language and implementation of measures contained in the government's revised quality standards for the sector. Earlier this month, the health department published the redrafted Aged Care Quality Standards in line with ...
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