OPINION
OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTURE OF AGED CARE AGED CARE REFORM AND COVID-19 READINESS WILL SPRINGBOARD OUR INDUSTRY INTO A BETTER 2022
P
redicting the near-term future has become somewhat hazardous since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but for older Australians and aged care services, there is much to be optimistic about.
As COVID-19 vaccination levels rise, restrictions ease, and communities open up again (albeit cautiously), all of us are looking forward to a new year where we adjust to living and working in a COVID-normal world. For aged care consumers and providers, the last two years have been particularly tough. Some people tragically lost their lives to the virus, and many others have been profoundly affected. In this context, we have a shared obligation to learn as much as possible from our experiences and apply those insights in our day-to-day work. The increased focus on infection prevention and control, outbreak management planning, and greater awareness of risk does mean the sector is better prepared for whatever the future brings. It is vital that these improvements are not ‘set and forget’. Now is the time for providers to consolidate the lessons learned, and review and maintain high levels of preparedness as part of an ongoing process of continuous improvement. At the end of 2020, the Commission surveyed aged care providers in Victoria who experienced a significant residential care outbreak to understand what worked well in their response. Some of the key learnings from those providers were: • stress testing of outbreak management plans, with the assistance of authorities and experts;
• having clear and defined roles and command and control structures, visible on-site leadership and clinical expertise;
Janet Anderson PSM Commissioner Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
• workforce planning and being able to access and onboard surge staff quickly, including pre-identifying replacement staff for critical roles to maintain levels of care when usual staff were required to isolate; • communicating early, transparently and frequently – with consumers, families and staff; • providing support mechanisms early to care for the emotional and mental health of staff working under stress; and • supporting access and keeping residents connected with their families and loved ones—which is crucial to maintaining the emotional and mental wellbeing of residents, along with innovative ways of keeping consumers active more generally. Given the easy access to the above guidance, there is no excuse for providers to be ‘caught short’ in responding to an outbreak. The twin risks of breakthrough COVID-19 infections in vaccinated individuals and the possibility of asymptomatic transmission require all providers to remain alert and ready to act promptly, decisively and effectively. Turning to the Government’s ambitious aged care reform program, the year ahead is filled with enormous promise, using as a springboard the significant initiatives commenced in 2021. For example, from July 2022, we will see the Serious Incident Response Scheme extended into in-home aged care services, providing greater protections to more than one million senior Australians receiving care at home. Other significant reform initiatives involving the Commission include: • delivering a program targeting aged care leaders that will be aimed at strengthening providers’ corporate and clinical governance capability; Continued on page 14
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