Non-profit Western Australia aged care provider Juniper is trialling a community falls prevention program across its home care customer base. Funded by the HCF Research Foundation and led by researchers from the University of Western Australia, the program is being rolled out to more than 100 home care clients. The program – which was co-designed with Juniper customers – includes personalised education modules and exercise routines. Bernie Wong and Kesha Logan Using a train-the-trainer education model, five members of Juniper staff – including physiotherapy lead Bernie Wong and occupational th ..read more

Aged care stakeholders can get invovled in the initiative focused on accelerating the development and adoption of standards for sharing healthcare data, the program lead tells Australian Ageing Agenda. CSIRO has been funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care to deliver national FHIR – Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources – standards over the next two years to improve the accessibility of real-time health information. Getting the information right within the record, means clinicians enter the data once and it can then be used multiple times across the system, the CSIRO’s Kate ..read more

The government’s proposed timeline for funding the latest pay rises is “disappointing” and will “slow the urgent tasking of attracting and retaining staff” and “only add to the workforce crisis in the sector”, stakeholders tell Australian Ageing Agenda. In a submission to the Fair Work Commission on Friday, the Albanese government has committed to funding the latest outcomes of the Fair Wok Commission case announced last month – which include: 3 to 7 per cent for non-direct care workers in residential aged care 18 to 28.5 per cent for personal care workers and assistants in nursing in residen ..read more

Almost a third of aged care homes are more than 10 minutes off their mandated care minute target, according to government statistics released on Thursday. Since 1 October 2023, aged care homes have been required to provide an average of 200 minutes of direct care per resident per day – including 40 minutes from a registered nurse. In reality each residential service has its own target of direct care minutes they are required to deliver based on the care needs of its residents. The data the Department of Health and Aged Care data crunched from the October to December 2023 quarter shows that 763 ..read more

Care workers need to receive mandatory training to ensure that LGBTIQ+ people can access safe and inclusive palliative care, Australian Ageing Agenda has been told. “This needs to happen across all healthcare institutions, mirroring what has been done with cultural safety training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” said Dr Ashwin Kaniah – who has helped develop an e-learning program that offers professional advice on how to provide palliative care that fits the unique needs of LGBTIQ+ communities. Accredited by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners – and hosted ..read more

Aged care and retirement living provider TriCare is using music to evoke memories from its residents living with dementia. As multiple studies show, music activates neural pathways in the brain, eliciting emotions and memories otherwise lost to diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Tamsin Sutherland Tamsin Sutherland is a regular live performer at TriCare sites across Queensland and has witnessed residents come alive when they hear an old song being played. “It’s all about getting them involved by featuring music from an era they know and love,” said Ms Sutherland. “Watching residents who are often no ..read more

Victorian aged care and primary health provider TLC Healthcare has commenced the high-tech redevelopment of its healthcare precinct in Belmont, Geelong. The$27-million renovation of The Belmont includes the addition of 15 suites that each feature separate loungerooms and bedrooms, kitchenettes, ensuites and private balconies. Plans for the aged care residences also feature technology to support safety and comfort, such as sensor radar fall detection in every suite. There’s also a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool and gymnasium planned as well as elevated landscaped spaces for enhanced leisure ..read more

South Australian aged care services provider ACH Group has appointed interim head Linda Feldt as its chief executive officer. Ms Feldt – who joined the not-for-profit provider in 2015 – has been ACH’s interim CEO for the past five months, following the departure of her predecessor Frank Weits. She was previously the organisation’s chief operating officer. Ms Feldt has executive experience in senior commercial, finance and customer roles across aged care and disability services in SA, as well as in multinational and international corporations. Ms Feldt holds a Bachelor of Business, Accounting ..read more

Home care providers are invited to apply for a government growth funding grant to expand entry-level aged care services in Australia. The federal government uses growth funding to respond to the evolving needs of older Australians by providing more funding and services into the Commonwealth Home Support Program. Allocated through the Department of Health and Aged Care and based on priority geographical areas and service types, growth funding helps providers expand entry-level aged care services for older people while meeting demonstrated needs and identified gaps in service delivery. The CHSP ..read more

The Aged Care Workforce Remote Accord has appointed Juniper chief executive officer Russell Bricknell as chair of its leadership group. Mr Bricknell – who took over the help of Juniper in December 2022 – has an extensive background in the aged care and the community services sector. He was was chief executive of Baptistcare WA serving metropolitan and regional communities in Western Australia for over five years and global chief executive of the Aged Care Channel Australia for five-and-a-half years before that, managing operations in Australia and overseas. Mr Bricknell was also chief operatin ..read more