Care Assess

It is with deep respect and heartfelt gratitude that we announce the retirement of Wendy Edwards, effective September 20, 2024. Wendy has been a cornerstone of our organisation, and her decision to step into retirement marks the culmination of a truly remarkable career in the health and community care sector—a career that has spanned nearly five decades and has profoundly impacted all of us at Care Consultancy, Care Forward, Care Assess, and the broader community.

Wendy’s leadership, expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence have shaped our organisation and the entire community care sector. Her legacy will continue to inspire us as we move forward, and we are better for having had her as our leader.

Please join us in celebrating Wendy's extraordinary contributions and in wishing her nothing but joy and fulfilment in her retirement. Wendy, you are a hero, a trailblazer, and an exemplar in every sense of the word. Thank you for everything.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a heatwave warning for Tasmania. The heat will peak today before a cool change moves over Tasmania overnight into Friday, easing heatwave conditions. Milder temperatures are expected on Friday.

Safety advice:
🔸 Severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions and people who are unwell.
🔸 Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, even if you don't feel thirsty.
🔸 Seek a place to keep cool, such as your home, a library, community centre or shopping centre.
🔸 Close your windows and draw blinds, curtains or awnings early in the day to keep the heat out of your home.
🔸 If available, use fans or air-conditioners to keep cool.

For more advice on how to prepare for extreme heat, visit https://www.health.tas.gov.au/extreme-heat

As we look forward to celebrating one another and farewelling 2023, we at Care Assess extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff and valued clients. This year has been one of significant growth, resilience, and, above all, commitment to unbiased assessment in aged care.

We've seen our team expand and our role as Tasmania's foremost independent assessment agency strengthen. Our presence across Tasmania, including in our newly established Devonport office as well as Rosny Park and Riverside offices, has deepened, and our contributions to our community continue to make meaningful impacts.

Our Managing Director, Joe Towns, recently shared insightful thoughts on the importance of balance in providing thorough and empathetic assessments. Drawing from personal experiences and resonant wisdom, Joe spoke about the delicate interplay between professional commitment and personal well-being. His message underscores the significance of connection, understanding, and the choices we make in supporting the health and independence of our clients.

To explore Joe's full speech and reflect on our journey this year, follow the link below. His message embodies our core values and reinforces our determination to advance with empathy and purpose.

Looking forward to a new year filled with opportunities and growth, we are excited about what lies ahead. We remain committed to our mission, thankful for the support that enables our work. Stay updated with us for more news, and we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season.

Warm regards, The Care Assess Team

https://youtu.be/yhA8ljwlc0E?feature=shared

We're pleased to announce that we're participating in the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care's new Integrated Assessment Tool Live Trial (IAT), which commenced on 17 April 2023 and will run until 30 June 2023. You can learn more via our website: https://www.careassess.com.au/new-integrated-assessment-tool-live-trial

Check out the Australian Government's Ageing and Aged Care Engagement Hub - https://agedcareengagement.health.gov.au, where you can get involved in reforms to help drive change in Australian aged care.

You can also register for the aged care sector newsletter here: https://www.health.gov.au/using-our-websites/subscriptions/subscribe-to-the-aged-care-sector-newsletters-and-alerts.

Have you seen the discussion paper on initial parts of a new program? The summary includes feedback from previous consultations and they're calling for older Australians, their families and carers, the aged care sector and other community stakeholders about their views - have your say!

You can go through the online submission process and see the paper here: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/a-new-program-for-in-home-aged-care-summary?fbclid=IwAR2xWpZHYwnGvxGFCsjwFf-Q8IF3qvuxleMVzl-d8pMqYpQsfGEr7EZ3UGs or call 1800 318 209 before 25th November.

Every year on 26th May, National Sorry Day remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’. National Sorry Day is a day to recognise the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how we can all share in the healing process.

Care Assess updated their information in their About section.

Care Assess updated their phone number.

Last week we celebrated our Southern (Hobart) Care Assess staff Christmas in July event. (We made it to June... LOL). Here are some photos...

Service Awards L-R
Wendy Edwards
Tess Steel – 6 years
Karen Whalan – 6 years
Vikki Shaw – 6 years
Julie Doering – 16 years

In absentia
Helen Francis – 10 years
Sharon Bellette – 6 years
Joaquin Maza – 6 years
Jennie Jones – 9 years
Gemma Stevens – 3 years
Teena Armstrong – 4 years

Second photo
Back Left to Right
Mary Murphy
Susanne James
Karen Whalan
Dave Haynes
Vikki Shaw
Andrea McCulloch
Andy Browell
You

Front = L – R
Lou Phillips
Tess Steel
Wendy Edwards
Julie Doering
Christine McConnon
Codi-Lee Shaw

Care Assess is excited to be participating in a Study for the development and testing of a new Assessment, Classification, and Funding (ACF) model to underpin the new support at home program!

To support this early work, the Department has commissioned HealthConsult to develop an assessment, classification and funding (ACF) model for the support at home program.

HealthConsult has recently asked Care Assess to participate in this study by assessing volunteer clients and residents across Tasmania in order to test their newly developed assessment model.

A new program will support the thousands of older Tasmanians who currently receive care through the CHSP or HCP, and future entrants to access the care they need when they need it. It aims to provide a seamless system of care and match services to the needs of older people living at home and in the community. It will be easier to navigate and better support older people and their informal carers.

AN-ACC is a "funding assessment" -- IF the AN-ACC assessments aim to capture drivers of cost of care and care burden HOW will it capture the needs of residents with dementia IF diagnosis is not specifically addressed in the assessments?

Dementia and cognitive impairment present themselves in different ways. A dementia diagnosis can be challenging on this account and is likely underdiagnosed and under-reported.

Therefore, solely relying on a diagnosis of dementia in funding assessments will in fact underestimate the resources required to provide care for this group of residents.

Any form of cognitive impairment, whether caused by dementia or otherwise, will impact a resident’s functional measures such as mobility and the ability to conduct activities of daily living.

This impact is what drives cost, irrespective of the diagnosis of dementia.

Using the capability approach, the AN-ACC assessments will be able to capture this cost of providing care, irrespective of a diagnosis of dementia.

How do AN-ACC assessments cater for residents with dementia?

AN-ACC assessments are based on a set of key concepts grouped under the assessment approach and assessment for funding.

The assessment approach takes account of the resident’s physical function, cognition and behaviour, motivation, and organisational ability.

As an example, a resident may be physically able to shower themselves, but require facility staff to monitor, supervise and assist them to do so safely due to their cognitive impairments (e.g.: motivation, problem-solving, and memory). The AN-ACC assessments will account for this care, by rating the resident’s showering ability as ranging from supervision to total assistance depending on the amount of assistance required.

The AN-ACC assessments aim to capture the normal function of the resident, and this includes and accounts for their normal variability in behaviour and function. It is not intended nor performed as a “snapshot in time” assessment.

AN-ACC Assessors will be perusing through clinical documentation, performing observations, conducting interviews with the resident, as well as conducting interviews with staff members – to gain all the salient details so that a resident’s normal function can be captured.

2021-22 Aged Care Budget at a glance...
A once in a generation reform of aged care including:

AN-ACC will commence from 1 October 2022

Care Minutes:
--an increase to the care time for residents to an average of 200 minutes per day -including 40 minutes of registered nurse (RN) time;
--a RN on site for a minimum of 16 hours per day.

Funding uplift to support continuation of 30% increase to viability and homeless supplements and $10 increase to Basic Daily Fee

Expand the role of the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) to advise Government on the cost of residential aged care

Increased funding for residential respite care,

A single assessment workforce

Transition fund

TIMELINE

From 1 July 2021, a new Government Basic Daily Fee supplement + continuation of the 30% increase to the homeless and viability supplements

From October 2021, providers will be required to report on care staffing minutes at the facility level

From July 2022, providers will also be required to provide a monthly care statement to residents (and their family members) and report quarterly on care minutes

1 October 2022, AN-ACC commences (ACFI ceases). Care minutes funding commences through AN-ACC. BDF Supplement and homeless/viability funding rolled into AN-ACC.

From December 2022, staffing star rating becomes publically available

From 1 July 2023. Future changes in funding levels informed by IHACPA advice

From October 2023, providers to meet the mandatory 200 minute care time standard and have a RN on site for a minimum of 16 hours per day

For more information about the 2021-21 Budget please visit Health.gov.au - https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/budget-2021-22

Celebrating our Devonport Care Assess staff Christmas in July event last week. (We couldn't wait till July LOL).

All staff were thanked for their contributions and commitment to the Company, especially through a very challenging covid period.

Tenure celebrations also celebrated for three original RAS Assessors (since 2015).

Janine Ennis and Racheal Leary have now been with us for 6 years. Well done and thanks so much.

Sonja Mahoney has done 7 years with us - she was pre My Aged Care and RAS and is now one of our amazing AN-ACC Assessor. Sonya, we so greatly appreciate you and all you do.