The Federal Government is “actively considering” limiting Staffing Star Ratings of 3 to residential care providers that meet mandatory care limits, a Department of Health and Aged Care webinar revealed on Tuesday.
The average care minutes being delivered per operational bed per day was 190 at the end of March 2023. With the mandatory 200 care minute target coming in on 1 October 2023, time is running out to meet the requirement.
The webinar revealed that care minutes have been steadily increasing since 2021 except for Enrolled Nurses, who have experienced a decline in hours despite the fact their care hours are included in the care minutes targets.
COMMISSION WILL WORK WITH NON-COMPLYING PROVIDERS
When providers don’t comply with the care minute targets but can provide evidence of “ongoing efforts to comply, while demonstrating they are able to provide safe, quality care to consumers”, they are unlikely to be receive formal regulatory action, revealed Peter Edwards, Executive Director, Compliance Management Group at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC).
“The Commission will work with them to improve their care minute compliance,” he said.
“Where there is significant and repeated non-compliance, and a provider’s response is found to be insufficient and/or there are severe and immediate risks to consumers, the Commission will take escalated action such as the imposition of sanctions.”
PENALTIES FOR MISREPORTING
“Targeted and random” Care Time Reporting Assessments will be conducted by the Department to assess the accuracy of care minutes and 24/7 RNs data submitted, Mark Richardson, Assistant Secretary, Residential Care Funding Reform Branch from the Department of Health and Aged Care, told the webinar.
“Where misreporting is deliberate, you should expect proportionate compliance action, which may include referral to the Commission. Debt recovery will also be undertaken where appropriate, for example, overpayment of the 24/7 RN supplement.”
A recording and transcript of the webinar will be available shortly here.
Slides of the webinar are available here.
The SOURCE: If compliance with the care minute targets becomes a requirement for achieving three stars, there will be more incentive for providers to comply – but where will the staff come from?