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Volume 3, Issue 5, June 2010

Please note some of the articles provided have additional papers which can be downloaded or links to another website page. In some cases these documents are linked to the ACS Members Only section of this website and will require a Username and Password. All members have been issued with a Username and Password. If you have not received this please contact the Communications Officer with your contact details and you will be issued with your access details.

Late Breaking News	July Quarterly Review
National News	Funding increase a blow to aged care
Local News	Delays in Low Care Respite Payments by Medicare Are you faced with a problem that raises the rights of the resident and the duty of care of providers? Hazard Alert - Bed poles MIMS and e-medication
Coming Events	Don’t miss our information sessions on the new Unfair Contracts Regime Support aged care colleagues at the Awards for Excellence Cocktail Party!
ACS Education & Training Events	ACS 2010 Training Program ACFI: Where are we now? Friday 11 June, 9.30 am–3.30 pm Personal Safety and Managing Conflict Situations in Residential and Community Care Tuesday 22 June, 9 am–4.30 pm Accurate Comprehensive Clinical Assessment Friday 25 June, 9.30 am–3.30 pm Modern Awards training sessions
Industry Supporter News

Late Breaking News

July Quarterly Review for aged care providers

The July Quarterly Review was run on 29 May 2010. The date of effect of this Quarterly Review is 1 July 2010.

Please note refunds to individual residents (as per your Payment Statement) should not be processed until receipt of the Department's fee advice letters. These letters will be sent to you from mid-June 2010.

National News

Funding increase another blow to aged care

The Government has announced the funding increase in care subsidies for this year will be a disappointing 1.7 percent.

Click here to read the Government announcement

Please click here for ACSA’s response to the announcement. This issue will be raised as a priority in the Productivity Commission Inquiry.

Local News

Delays in Low Care Respite Payments by Medicare

A member has reported delays in the processing by Medicare of Low Care Respite claims. If you are experiencing delays please email the ACS Residential Services Manager.

There is also a feedback link on Medicare Australia Website for Aged Care.

Are you faced with a problem that raises the rights of the resident and the duty of care of providers?

The May edition of ‘The Standard’ has called for questions which they will put to various experts for their opinions. The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd has flagged that the first issue they will be dealing with is ‘smoking in aged care homes’.

Email your questions to the Editor or email your question to ACS

Hazard Alert - Bed poles

A recent South Australian coronial inquiry into the death of an elderly person has recommended that the public be alerted to the dangers of incorrectly installed or the inappropriate use of bed poles.

Please click here to read the alert.

Please click here for findings of the inquest into the death.

MIMS and e-medication

Kim Bannon (Account Manager, based in Adelaide) from MIMS - a supplier of quality, independent medical information to Australian healthcare professionals - is interested in hearing from any Aged Care Providers about how MIMS can help with e-medication, please phone 0400 091 050 or email.

Coming Events

Don’t miss our information sessions on the new Unfair Contracts Regime

Peter Myhill of O'Loughlins Lawyers will present two information sessions for ACS members on the New Unfair Contracts Regime. Cost is a gold coin donation. Places are filling fast!

The information sessions will be held:

Tuesday 8 June
9.45 am-10.45 am at ACS Training Rooms (246 Glen Osmond Rd, Fullarton)

Thursday 10 June
8 am-9 am at ACS Training Rooms (246 Glen Osmond Rd, Fullarton)

Peter will also present a session in the long lunch break at the ACS Combined Regional Forum on Friday 18 June 2010 for attendees of the Forum.

Click here for O’Loughlins' May Bulletin, which provides more information about the new Regime.

Support aged care colleagues at the Awards for Excellence Cocktail Party!

The ACS SA & NT State and Territory Awards 2010 will be presented at a Cocktail Party on Thursday 17 June, 5-7 pm at The Observatory function centre, in the Starlight Ballroom.

Cocktails, canapés, and intergenerational entertainment will help celebrate the ACS SA & NT Awards for Excellence evening.

Tickets are $75 per head - please book here. Should you have any inquiries, please contact ACS on 8338 7111

ACS Education & Training Events

ACS 2010 Training Program

The 2010 Training Program is constantly updated. Registration forms for the events will be placed on the website as they are prepared, and also sent to members. Please mark this page as a bookmark and return to it regularly to view any changes and additions.

ACFI: Where are we now? Friday 11 June, 9.30 am–3.30 pm

Who should attend? Senior staff involved with ACFI

The purpose of the day is to help people move forward and achieve their best ACFI outcomes. Topics include:

Planning when to re ACFI
Validation: what do we know now?
What should the completed ACFI pack look like?
How can I achieve the best ACFI outcome?
Refresher on accurate completion of ACFI assessment tools and records
Unlocking the CHC domain
How to ensure my ACFIs will hold firm under validation

Personal Safety and Managing Conflict Situations in Residential and Community Care Tuesday 22 June, 9 am–4.30 pm

The course is specifically tailored to the aged care environment.

Learn how to:

Undertake a risk assessment of your role to identify risks of violence and aggression;
Apply the SAFER approach to dynamic risk assessment of workplace situations;
Recognise the range of human responses to threatening and aggressive situations;
Adopt a proactive approach to service delivery
Identify blocks to communication within the working environment;
Signal non-aggression, control and maintain personal space;
Recognise an escalating situation and defuse and calm a high-risk situation;
Apply the win-win approach to resolving conflict and lots more.

Accurate Comprehensive Clinical Assessment Friday 25 June, 9.30 am–3.30 pm

Who should attend? Registered and Enrolled Nurses, Senior Care Workers involved with the clinical assessment process

Contents:

What is accurate clinical comprehensive assessment?
How do we ensure our residents get the best outcome and ensure the funding instrument ACFI is well supported?
Learn how to accurately execute and interpret the two ACFI tools—the PAS
(Psychogeriatric Assessment Scale) and the modified CDS (Cornell Depression Scale).
How to accurately assess continence, behaviour and chronic pain, and their relevance to the ACFI questions.

Modern Awards training sessions

A range of award provisions commence 1 July 2010 - ensure you are ready for the transition!

Who should attend? Senior Managers, IR, HR, Payroll staff and Proprieters

These sessions will focus on calculating and applying the transitional provisions for rates of pay, penalties and loadings from 1 July 2010. They will be very practical, using applicable case studies and exercises to ensure correct application of the transitional rules.

Aged Care and Social and Community Services Awards
Tuesday 29 June
10.00 am-3.00 pm (lunch provided) at ACS, 246 Glen Osmond Rd, Fullarton

Nurses Awards
Wednesday 30 June
10.00 am-12.30 pm (morning tea provided) at ACS, 246 Glen Osmond Rd, Fullarton

Papers from ACS Forums

Papers and Presentations from some of the recently held ACS Forums are available for members-only access. Click here to view the list of presentations available.