Quality of Care Amendment (Home Care) Principle 2013

This principle is the Quality of Care Amendment (Home Care) Principle 2013.

This principle commences on 1 August 2013.

This principle is made under the Aged Care Act 1997.

Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Quality of Care Principles 1997

1 Section 18.3

Repeal the section, substitute:

18.3 Definitions

In these Principles:

Act means the Aged Care Act 1997.

organisation means the approved provider of an aged care service.

quality review means a review of the quality of care delivered against the Home Care Common Standards.

resident means a care recipient who is provided with care through an aged care service.

service provider means the approved provider of an aged care service.

service user means a care recipient who is provided with care through an aged care service.

2 Note after section 18.3

Repeal the note.

3 Section 18.6A

Repeal the section, substitute:

18.6A Purpose of Division (Act, s 54‑1)

This Division specifies other responsibilities of an approved provider of a residential care service in relation to the quality of the aged care that the approved provider provides.

4 After section 18.6B

Insert:

Division 2.3 Specified care and services for home care services

18.6C Purpose of Division (Act, s 54‑1)

This Division specifies the care and services that an approved provider of a home care service may provide.

18.6D Specification of care and services

(1) An approved provider of a home care service must provide a package of care and services selected from the care and services specified in Part 1 of Schedule 4.

(2) The care recipient and the approved provider may agree to the inclusion in the package of care and services other care and services required to support the care recipient to live at home, provided that:

(a) the approved provider is able to provide the care and services within the limits of the resources available; and

(b) the item is not listed in Part 2 of Schedule 4 as an excluded item.

(3) The package of care and services may be used to support the use of telehealth and digital technology, such as remote monitoring, if this is agreed under subsection (2).

(4) The care and services must be consistent with the care recipient’s care needs identified in the care plan.

(5) The care and services must be provided by the approved provider in a way that meets the Home Care Standards.

5 Section 18.8 (note at the end)

Repeal the note.

6 Part 5 (including note)

Repeal the Part, substitute:

Part 5 Home Care Standards

18.13 Purpose of Part (Act, s 54‑4)

This Part sets out Home Care Standards. Home Care Standards are standards for quality of care and quality of life for the provision of home care.

18.14 Home Care Standards

(1) The Home Care Standards are the Home Care Common Standards set out in Schedule 5.

(2) The standards set out in Schedule 5 deal with the following matters:

(a) effective management;

(b) appropriate access and service delivery; and

(3) The home care standard for a matter consists of:

(a) the Principle for the matter; and

(b) the expected outcome for each matter indicator for the matter.

7 Part 6 (including note)

Repeal the Part.

8 Schedule 1 (note after heading)

Repeal the note, substitute:

Note Subsection 18.6 (1A) provides that the care and services listed in Schedule 1 are to be provided in a way that meets the Accreditation Standards set out in Schedule 2.

9 Schedule 4

Repeal the Schedule, substitute:

Schedule 4 Specified care and services for home care services

(section 18.6D)

Note Subsection 18.6D(5) provides that the care and services listed in Schedule 4 are to be provided in a way that meets the standards set out in Schedule 5.

Part 1 Care and services

The range of care and services available includes the following:

A. Care services
Personal services	Personal assistance, including individual attention, individual supervision and physical assistance, with: bathing, showering including providing shower chairs if necessary, personal hygiene and grooming, dressing and undressing, and using dressing aids toileting dressing and undressing mobility transfer (including in and out of bed)
Activities of daily living	Personal assistance, including individual attention, individual supervision and physical assistance, with: communication including assistance to address difficulties arising from impaired hearing, sight or speech, or lack of common language, assistance with the fitting of sensory communication aids, checking hearing aid batteries, cleaning spectacles and assistance in using the telephone
Nutrition, hydration, meal preparation and diet	Includes: assistance with preparing meals assistance with special diet for health, religious, cultural or other reasons assistance with using eating utensils and eating aids and assistance with actual feeding, if necessary providing enteral feeding formula and equipment
Management of skin integrity	Includes: providing bandages, dressings, and skin emollients
Continence management	Includes: assessment for and, if required, providing disposable pads and absorbent aids, commode chairs, bedpans and urinals, catheter and urinary drainage appliances and enemas assistance in using continence aids and appliances and managing continence
Mobility and dexterity	Includes: providing crutches, quadruped walkers, walking frames, walking sticks and wheelchairs providing mechanical devices for lifting, bed rails, slide sheets, sheepskins, tri-pillows, and pressure relieving mattresses assistance in using the above aids

B. Support services

Support services

Includes:

cleaning
personal laundry services, including laundering of care recipient’s clothing and bedding that can be machine-washed, and ironing
arranging for dry-cleaning of care recipient’s clothing and bedding that cannot be machine washed
gardening
medication management
rehabilitative support, or helping to access rehabilitative support, to meet a professionally determined therapeutic need
emotional support including ongoing support in adjusting to a lifestyle involving increased dependency and assistance for the care recipient and carer, if appropriate
support for care recipients with cognitive impairment, including individual therapy, activities and access to specific programs designed to prevent or manage a particular condition or behaviour, enhance quality of life and provide ongoing support
providing 24-hour on-call access to emergency assistance including access to an emergency call system if the care recipient is assessed as requiring it
transport and personal assistance to help the care recipient shop, visit health practitioners or attend social activities
respite care
home maintenance, reasonably required to maintain the home and garden in a condition of functional safety and provide an adequate level of security
modifications to the home, such as easy access taps, shower hose or bath rails
assisting the care recipient, and the homeowner if the home owner is not the care recipient, to access technical advice on major home modifications
advising the care recipient on areas of concern in their home that pose safety risks and ways to mitigate the risks
arranging social activities and providing or coordinating transport to social functions, entertainment activities and other out-of-home services
assistance to access support services to maintain personal affairs

Leisure, interests and activities

Includes:

encouragement to take part in social and community activities that promote and protect the care recipient’s lifestyle, interests and wellbeing

C. Clinical services

Clinical care

Includes:

nursing, allied health and therapy services such as speech therapy, podiatry, occupational or physiotherapy services
other clinical services such as hearing and vision services

Access to other health and related services

Includes:

referral to health practitioners or other service providers

Part 2 Excluded items

The following items must not be included in the package of care and services provided under section 18.6D.

Excluded items

The following items must not be included in the package of care and services provided under section 18.6D:

use of the package funds as a source of general income for the care recipient
purchase of food, except as part of enteral feeding requirements
payment for permanent accommodation, including assistance with home purchase, mortgage payments or rent
payment of home care fees
payment of fees or charges for other types of care funded or jointly funded by the Australian Government
home modifications or capital items that are not related to the care recipient’s care needs
travel and accommodation for holidays
cost of entertainment activities, such as club memberships and tickets to sporting events
gambling activities
payment for services and items covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

10 Schedule 5 (heading and reference under heading)

Repeal the heading and reference, substitute:

Schedule 5 Home Care Common Standards

(section 18.14)