Aged Care
Aged Care Access Initiative
The aim of the Aged Care Access Initiative (ACAI) is to improve access to primary care (GP and allied health services) for residents of aged care facilities. Details of this new Commonwealth Government Initiative, which replaced the Aged Care GP Panels Initiative, are contained in the revised Aged Care Access Initiative Program Guidelines August 2008.
The ACAI supports improving access to GP and allied health services for residents of aged care facilities through two separate components as follows:
1. An incentive payment through the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) to encourage GPs to provide more services in RACFs. The PIP payments will be administered through Medicare Australia; and
2. A payment for clinical care provided by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in RACFs, where these services are not currently covered by Medicare or other government funding arrangements.
The updated version of the guidelines contains details of the GP incentive component. See in particular pages 5 and 6 for more information about the GP incentive component.
Click on the link below for guidelines.
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Aged Care Access Initiative Program Guidelines (Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing) |
Aged Care Access Initiative - GP Information Pack
The ESDGP GP Information Pack has been updated as at January 2009.
If you would like a copy of this pack or require a practice visit on aged care related issues please contact Jennifer at the division.
This pack can be downloaded by clicking on the ‘pdf’ file below.
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Aged Care Access Initiative - GP Information Pack |
The Wellness Guide for Carers WEB Site provides a wealth of information in an easy-to-use directory that contains helpful information and handy hints on:
- How to live and stay well
- Where to find information on health-related topics
- How to seek help from available community services
- We have developed this Guide in conjunction with older carers in Geelong, Barwon Region, Victoria, Australia
Also see Carer's Information
Other Useful Carer Links
Australia-Wide Carers Guide
Care Call Emergency Response Service
Do you or a loved one live alone?
Care Call are there to provide help whenever you need it, at any time of the day or night.
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Care Call Brochure (PDF) |
Phone us to arrange a free demonstration in your home with a trained Care Call professional.
Phone: 1300 130 100
For further information and email: please click Here
Aged Care MBS Schedule items 712 & 903
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Item number 712 Comprehensive Medical Assessments (CMA) Information |
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Item number 712 (CMA) Template |
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Item number 903 Residential Medical Management Review (RMMR) Information |
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Item number 903 (RMMR) Template |
Seniors.Gov.Au
Welcome to the Australian Government's premier source of information for Australians over 50. Seniors.gov.au provides you with a single point of access to Government and non-Government information and services for older Australians.
Australian Health Ministers' Advisory council
Care of Older Australians Working Group. An electronic version of the National Action Plan can be accessed on the Victorian Government website:
COAWG, lead by Victoria and the Australian Government, undertook a major research program. The final reports from this work program are available at;
Guidelines for end-of-life care and decision-making
The Guidelines focus on the optimal approach to reaching decisions about the use of life sustaining treatment at the end of life. They discuss the role and responsibilities of health professionals, and emphasise the importance of the consensus approach to such decisions.
Specific issues such as decision making where the patient cannot do so, use of No CPR orders, advance care planning, and appropriate use of analgesia or sedation are discussed.
Using Advanced Care Directives
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Advanced Care Directives |
There is a growing expectation that one's wishes for medical care at the end of life will be respected even if progressive disease takes away decision-making capacity.
There is also a need for improved mechanisms whereby an incompetent person's prior wishes about end of life care can be known and considered at the time that treatment decisions need to be made.
This guide aims to assist health professionals in discussing advance care planning with patients, and to clarify how to use an advance care directive as part of that process.
Report on Transfers from Hospital to RACF's
Attached is a very recent report that you might find interesting. (It is 183 pages long, and gives an overall and state by state rundown.) I have also sent it out to my divisional aged care troops, and to the GP Liaison program manager here.
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Transfers from Hospital to RACF's |
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Interview from ABC radio recently on the same topic |
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