What is Aged Care in Australia?

Aged Care is most easily understood as being

nursing homes and home care. It may also refer to community services, specific
geriatric health care and community centres.
Aged care in Australia is principally funded by the federal government, with the
States also contributing. There are also non-government funded services offered by
private businesses, as well as church and charitable organisations.

There are different types of Aged Care including Residential Aged Care
provision of residential aged care (aged care homes) for frail older people who are
unable to continue living independently at home. There are different levels of aged
care homes low level, aging in place and high level.
Community Care Services for older people receiving care in their own homes from
visiting care providers. Services for community care generally include but are not
limited to assistance with bathing, shopping, cooking, cleaning, attending Allied
Health, doctor and specialist appointments.

What legislation governs Aged Care in Australia? The two main pieces of
legislation governing Aged Care programs and services, they are the Aged Care Act
and the Home and Community Act 1985.
what is the act
about
What is Accreditation? To be eligible for continued Government funding, aged care
homes are assessed against a list of standards which include:

the health, personal care and lifestyle that they provide to residents
the safety and quality of their buildings and standards, and
their management and organisational development.

Aged care facilities are granted accredited if they meet these standards. The
evaluation process, which ensures that residents receive quality care and services,
is carried out every three years or during a shorter time frame if there are areas
needing improvement. As part of the process, staff, residents and relatives are
interviewed by an independent agency about their experiences with the quality of
care and service in the home.

What is ACFI? ACFI is an Aged Care Funding Instrument used to determine the
level of funding that a facility receives for each resident. The amount of funding is
based on 3 categories ADL, Complex Healthcare and Behavioural.

Care plans are used to track the patients requirements and care needs, as the
primary measure of assessment it is imperative care plans are completed accurately
and reviewed regularly so that funding is paid correctly.
About Wound Management About Wound Management
In my Aged Care experience I understand that skin tears, pressure ulcers and
chronic leg ulcers are the most common types of wounds in elderly patients.
Assessment is the first part of managing a wound, both the patient and the wound
are carefully examined to determine the best treatment.
Healing can be impacted by the general health of the resident, when assessing and
reporting on the patient I note the following:

full medical history such as diabetes, vascular diseases, compromised

immune system, connective tissue disorders and allergies
medication
nutritional status
lifestyle, for example tobacco and alcohol habits or impaired mobility
psychological problems
quality of life

When I am following and updating the wound management plan I document:

Slough and eschar are the 2 types of necrotic tissues necrotic tissue must be

wound location, size and type

removed before repair and healing can occur.
characteristics of the wound bed, such as necrotic tissue, granulation tissue
Dark granulation tissue can be indicative of poor perfusion
and infection
odour and exudate (none, low, moderate, high)
condition of the surrounding skin
clinical signs of critical colonisation or local infection
wound pain: location of the pain, pain duration, pain intensity (Pain scale.pdf),
type of pain, nociceptive or neuropathic pain.

If I am concerned about the wound or unsure I know to consult the physician and or
wound management nurse.
About Care Plans upon admission an assessment of each resident is required to
provide the facility with ongoing information necessary to develop a care plan, to
provide the appropriate care and services for each resident.
Timing of care plans at minimum, residents must be assessed upon admission,
when a significant change takes place, and at least annually plus the assessment
must be reviewed at least quarterly. 3 moths
Accuracy of care plans the assessments must be done in such a way that each
resident receives an accurate assessment by staff that are qualified to assess

relevant care areas and knowledgeable about the residents status, needs,
strengths, and areas of decline.
An accurate assessment means the appropriate qualified health professional
correctly documents the residents medical, functional, and psychosocial problems
and identifies resident strengths to maintain or improve medical status, functional
abilities, and psychosocial status. The initial comprehensive assessment provides
baseline data for ongoing assessment of resident progress.
Each individual who completes a portion of the assessment must sign and certify the
accuracy of that portion of the assessment.
What do you know about Palliative and End of Life Care Palliative care is an
approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the
problems associated with a life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief
of suffering by means treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychological
and spiritual.

What qualities does a team leader have and what are some of their
responsibilities? It is expected that Registered Nurses in a leadership or
management capacity exhibit communication and problem-solving skills.
Team Leaders need to ensure the flow of the daily unit operations is in conjunction
with meeting the organization's objectives, while ensuring the quality of care is being
rendered in a cost effective manner.
Team leaders must manage patient flow, quality/risk manage, delegate and each
has specific duties associated i.e. prioritization of flow, discharge planning, clinical
outcomes, core measures

Confident
Responsible
Fair
Flexible
Assertive
Have a positive attitude
Show Initiative

Team Leaders role encompasses being the:

Coordination of nursing services
Evaluator of staff performance
Resource to the staff, patients, visitors, and physicians

Mentor to staff so that the expectations set will be met with guidance and
direction
Key role in ensuring the deliverance of excellent quality care
Ensuring safe and effective clinical practices are occurring
Enhancing the patient's experience by performing patient rounds and building
relationships
Managing the people and patient flow
Contributing to the delivery of the organization's objectives
Acting as a change agent by being the catalyst for change using evidencebased, thereby, leading development and ensuring clinically effective practice
Being a role model to staff members by creating an atmosphere that
empowers them to contribute to the delivery of high quality care.
Assignments are completed and covered based on a patient's needs
A schedule is completed and any gaps are dealt with
Tasks are delegated effectively and the care is supervised
Decision-making in the areas where they are both responsible and
accountable for, eg: guidance to those with less experience, requesting
additional staff when census rises
Staff accountability, especially if patient safety or the performance of patient
care duties is compromised, adherence to regulatory or organization
requirements are not being followed.