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Dear aged care stakeholder,

Welcome to Aged Care Connect, keeping you up to date across WAPHA's Aged Care Program initiatives that seek to build capacity in primary care and aged care services, leading to better health outcomes for older Australians. 

In this October update: 

• Care finder program tender submissions in review 
• In-reach vaccine clinic registration
• Telehealth project technical requirements survey 
• Our partners: upcoming sector events 
• Australian Government key updates

Care finder program

Following an open tender process between 7 September 2022 – 6 October 2022, the selection panel is now reviewing all submissions for the care finder program. 

Successful commissioned service organisations (to be awarded contracts by December 2022), will provide localised and face-to-face supports to help older, vulnerable Australians understand and navigate aged care services, including My Aged Care, and connect with other relevant supports in the community.  

The services are to be delivered for two and a half years from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2025. A recording of the tender briefing held 21 September 2022 is available here. Interim enquiries about the service should be emailed to Contracts Officer, Lee Luttig, lee.luttig@wapha.org.au 

In-reach vaccine clinic registration 

Residential aged care facilities that are unable to secure a primary care provider to administer COVID-19 Winter Vaccine doses, either with a GP or pharmacist, are still able to request an in-reach Commonwealth COVID-19 Winter Dose Vaccination clinic by registering here

Dementia consumer resources 

Our Dementia Consumer Resource project team received valuable feedback from South Perth dementia advocates on the community’s preferred ways to access dementia information.

Going along to a recent Alzheimer’s WA community Memory Café allowed our team to get on the spot feedback on a mobile-friendly web page of dementia resources to ensure the search, navigation and service contact features were suitable and user-friendly. These insights will guide WAPHA’s consolidation of quality local resources, launching on a dedicated My Community Directory page in December 2022

Supporting residential aged care facilities (RACFs) to increase use and availability of telehealth for aged care residents 

We will soon be emailing a technical capability assessment survey to all RACFs which expressed an initial expression of interest in strengthening their telehealth capability through accessing equipment and staff training.

If your RACF is part of this group, it is important to let us know if your nominated contact has changed since you completed the expression of interest form in September by emailing RACFtelehealthandafterhours@wapha.org.au 

This activity is equipping RACFs with the necessary equipment and training for staff to support telehealth services and improve timely access to primary health care for residents. Learn more 

From our partners 

Palliative Care WA Summit by Palliative Care Western Australia  

Optus Stadium | 24 Nov 2022 | Register here

Hear international, national, and local evidence and experience to inform the delivery of quality palliative care in WA. This free event is open to palliative care, aged care and community service professionals, researchers, policy makers and the wider community.

Advance care planning webinars by Palliative and Supportive Care Education 

Online | Various dates | Register here

Delivered in partnership with WA Department of Health and tailored for the needs of health professionals to prepare for an increase in advance care planning conversations in various care settings. Upcoming sessions: 

• Health Service Providers, 27 October, 1:30pm - 2:15pm 

• General Practice, 10 November, 6:00pm - 7:00pm 
• Aged Care, 23 November, 1:30pm - 2:15pm 

Palliative Approach for Residential Aged Care Session by PEPA WA  

Floreat | 9 Nov 2022 | Register here

Held in-person at the Boulevard Centre, Floreat, this session is suitable for RACF workers including nurses, facility managers and allied health professionals to deepen their understanding of implementing palliative care at a facility level.

The importance of Coordinating Patient Care 

Online course | Register here

The End-of-Life Essentials (EOLE) Project provides free evidence-based online education for health professionals to assist in improving end-of-life care. A new module is now available, 'The Importance of Coordinating Patient Care', exploring the scenario of end-of-life care needs for 'George' during his transfer from his residential aged care facility to the hospital, and after assessment, back to his facility. 

Australian Government updates

Aged Care Quality Standards 

The Aged Care Quality Standards provide a shared understanding of what is expected in aged care, making quality everyone’s business. Public consultation will occur over six weeks from 17 October - 25 November 2022. There will be opportunities to engage via a webinar, surveys, and focus groups. For more information and to have your say, visit Aged Care Engagement

New Home Care Consultation Paper 27 October 2022

The Australian Government has set out to design a new, single Support at Home aged care program to replace the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and the Home Care Packages (HCP) program, delivered by July 2024. The community along with industry stakeholders are invited to share feedback on the paper via written submission. Register for the information session

Support Portal for providers’ reporting a COVID-19 outbreak or exposure in residential aged care

The new reporting COVID-19 cases for residential aged care homes
fact sheet reminds residential aged care facilities of their responsibility to submit a notification report for all resident, staff, and visitors COVID-19 cases via the COVID-19 Support Portal, accessible via My Aged Care.

You are receiving this email as an interested party for activities related to the Primary Health Network Aged Care Program or have signed up through our website. All enquiries related to the Aged Care Program should be attention to healthpolicy@wapha.org.au

Our mailing address is:

WA Primary Health Alliance Level 2, 1 Hood Street Subiaco, WA 6008 Australia

Disclaimer

WA Primary Health Alliance’s publications and the material within them are intended for use by health professionals for general information purposes and do not replace clinical decision making. Please read our full disclaimer.

While the Australian Government contributed funding for this material, it has not reviewed the content and is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided herein.