National Aged Care Alliance

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National Aged Care Alliance

NATIONAL AGED CARE ALLIANCE

Thursday 12 & Friday 13 February 2015

Venue: Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600

Summary/Potential Actions for ESSA:

  • Commonwealth Home Support Programme: Draft ‘Good Practice Guide for Wellness, Reablement and Restorative Care 2015’ and Draft Programme Manual to be published for consultation. ESSA to review and provide consultation feedback where appropriate.
  • ESSA to keep up to date on CHSP on www.dss.gov.au/chsp
  • Monitor Gateway processes, interactions with Regional Assessment services and ACATs. Possible need for Auskeys to access portals to alter provider details, assessment information and client details.
  • Non-govt funded services will be able to add themselves onto service finder.
  • Attend Sector briefings/obtain information from Webinars and taped sessions.

Aged Care Reform Update

  • Statement of Principles Consultation to commence shortly.
  • Home Care CDC Advisory Group:

Home Care Today website ( key resource for providers and consumers.

  • Gateway Advisory Group:

On track for July 1 commencement. Assessment process, service finders and website functionality to be ready.

April-June providers to assist with ensuring information and service information is correctly listed through a provider portal (e.g. catchment, CALD Group services, types of services)

Providers may need and "AUS Key" to be able to access portals to edit information, access client and assessment data.

Noting that there is a lag time in registering and receiving an AUS key. Deadlines and timeframes will exist for providers. Concerns expressed that lag time in AUS keys will result in providers missing out in ensuring data is correct by July 1.

Training concerns for RAS organizations, will they be ready by July 1? RASs likely to find out if successful in March/April will then need to recruit and train.

  • Commonwealth Home Support Programme

The Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) met in late December via teleconference following the announcement by the Government in relation to the future of the CHSP program. The announcements can be found at www.dss.gov.au/chsp. Many of the recommendations made by the Alliance in response to the CHSP Discussion paper in late 2014 were adopted.

Nearly all existing providers will continue to be funded in the CHSP. Further investigations of the actual activities being undertaken by

Existing providers have had their CURRENT funding agreement extended until 31 October, with NEW contracts anticipated to be discussed with providers between May and October 2015, commencing from 1 November 2015.

There remains further consultation to occur in February/March 2015 on:

o CHSP Programme Manual

o CHSP Fees Policy

o CHSP Wellness and Reablement

The CHSP Wellness sub-group has provided input on the Draft ‘Good Practice Guide for Wellness, Reablement and Restorative Care 2015’ which will be released for public consultation in February/March 2015. Further work is occurring in preparation for the release of the Draft Programme Manual and Draft fees policy for consultation.

Rae Lamb, Aged Care Commissioner

Age Care Commissioner is independent to the age care complaints scheme.

Shift in style of scheme from investigative to resolution

Since the change to resolution drop in provider complaints, few home care complaints, mainly residential complaints, scope of complaints scheme doesn’t include HACC service complaints who go to Commonwealth Ombudsmen,

Resolution, Protection and Learning key themes of complaints scheme.

Minister Fifield

Reference to CEDA Speech, highlighting age care is not static and is and will be continually changing.

Government has ideas where to moved forward but very keen for consultation to help with ideas and shape future reform.

"Dollars to follow consumer not provider" need to recraft the architecture of the system. Steps being taken in Home Care which need to be sector wide? .

CHSP and Home Care consolidation is a possible future step,

Key boundary is working within the supply allocated

Individuals now making greater contribution to their care e.g. Home care. Hoping that new financial products will become available to engage consumers to contribute to their care

1 July, RAS, CDC Home care, CHSP, my age care website for non govt funded services.

Happy with announcement of Dementia Behaviours Response Team (substitute for dementia supplement)

Recognises that disability and aged care interface is very complex. Vision services and provision of aids are key areas where interface is challenging. Hopes that as NDIS is roles out further, learnings will eventuate and keen to understand and act on these as they eventuate

Gateway: Concerns expressed tight timelines over Gateway, RASs commencing and new client journey/assessment processes. Recognises timeframes

CHSP: Tight timeframe regarding consultation for various aspects of the CHSP roll out. Incorporating feedback, consolidation and communication to the sector.

ACAR Reform: Minister "hates" ACAR process. Recognizes not the most transparent system, Would like to see individual providers allocated places, individual assessed gets a "voucher" and goes to a provider of their choosing. Needs to be done within the existing funding envelope, can explode budget. Tweaking consumer contribution. Possible option to offset free market. Going to have ACAR until something better comes along.

Department of Social Services & Department of Human Services

Gateway/My Age Care

Focus is client centric to guide client from enquiry to service.

Currently some referrals to ACATs and Providers. Mainly information provision

Key July 1 changes:

  • Central Client Record (for any NEW clients and EXISTING Clients eventually when they are reassessed)
  • Intro of Regional Assessment Service
  • Nationally consistent screening and assessment process
  • Electronic matching and referral capability for assessment and comm funded services
  • Portals for clients, assessors and service providers to access my age care client records, assessment tools and referrals
  • Self-managed service provider information hosted on the service finders including non-commonwealth funded services.
  • Offline capabilities for assessors

Changes will result in

  • Consistent, streamlined assessment process
  • Better access to accurate client info
  • Appropriate referrals
  • equitable access to agedcare services
  • improved and more consistent client outcomes

April to June 2015, demonstrationproject in Victoria.

Late April: service provider portal will open for providers to establish organization structure, staff access and validate/update service information prior to July

July 2015 national rollout commences, introducing client registration, screen, face to face assessment and referral to service providers

July-December 2015, Age Care Assessment Teams will fully transition to My Age Care to undertake comprehensive assessment.

Providers will be able to accept, reject or put client on a central waitlist.

Factsheets, live demonstrations, Webinars, Roadshows will help provide information on My Age Care/Gateway. Assessors and Providers will have a separate 1800 Number.

Auskey, DSS will provide information and process. Organisation Aus Key 4-6 weeks and individual staff a few days.

"Go, no go" fear, possible delays? Will only release when ready, cautious but confident everything is on track.

Commonwealth Home Support Program

CHSP does not apply to HACC services in Vic and WA

CHSP will:

  • Provide streamline entry level support services
  • Be supported through My Age Care to deliver and support with a strong focus on wellness and reablement
  • provide sector support and development activities
  • promote equity and sustainability through a nationally consistent fees policy
  • reduce red tape

Document Draft for the Fees Policy, Program Manual, and Wellness Reablement will be available for consultation "in a few weeks".

CDC Home Packages

1 July ALL Home Care packages will be CDC

Five key outcomes providers will need to meet:

  • CDC Principles
  • Coproduce agreements and care plans
  • Individualized budget and monthly statement
  • Work with consumers on an agreement level of involvement
  • Conduct ongoing reassessment

Homecare Today

Resources for consumers and providers

Road Show

Sector Briefings, Full Day Agenda in modules

Sydney 3/4 March

Melbourne 12/13 March

5-6 Webinars based upon Modules.

AUS Key Clarification

Step 1) Organisational Administrator allocated required details are ABN, TFN, Name, Email and DOB. Takes 5 minutes and is AUSKey credential onto USB

Step 2) There will be a 4-7 week timeframe for the details of the organsiational administrator details to be passed onto DSS and uploaded to MyAgeCare.

Step 3) Staff members can apply for AUSKeys needing emails address and organisational administator email addresses.

DSS will publish information on Aus Keys for providers.