EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Minister for Ageing
Aged Care Act 1997
Records Amendment Principles 2008 (No. 1)
The Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) provides for the regulation and Commonwealth funding of aged care services.
Subsection 96-1(1) of the Act provides for the Minister to make Principles providing for various matters required or permitted by a Part or section of the Act.
Among the Principles made under s 96-1(1) are the Records Principles 1997 (the Records Principles).
The purpose of the Records Amendment Principles 2008 (No. 1) (the Amending Principles) is to state specific records that must be kept related to Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) assessments, appraisals and reappraisals for care recipients.
In the 2004 Budget, measures were announced to implement a new funding model for residential aged care with a reduced number of funding categories for personal care. The funding model is also designed to better target funding towards the care of care recipients with challenging behaviours related to dementia and complex nursing and health care needs including palliative care.
It is proposed that the ACFI will reduce the number of funding levels in residential aged care and provide payments for care recipients with complex health care needs, including palliative care, and for care recipients who have mental or behavioural conditions, including dementia.
Purpose and operation
The ACFI has been designed to reduce the amount of documentation and record-keeping which aged care staff generate and maintain in order to justify the funding classification for each care recipient.
The Amending Principles will commence on the commencement of Schedule 1 to the Aged Care Amendment (Residential Care) Act 2007.
The Amending Principles are a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
Consultation
The Department of Health and Ageing has worked closely with a Reference Group to advise on the development of the new funding model. Members of this reference group include peak industry bodies, consumer bodies, the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency and the Australian Nursing Federation.
Regulation Impact Statement
The Office of Regulation has advised that no Regulation Impact Statement is required (RIS ID 8112).
Details of the Amending Principles are listed at Attachment A.
ATTACHMENT A
Details of the Records Amendment Principles 2008 (No. 1)
Section 1 states that the name of the Principles is the Records Amendment Principles 2008 (No. 1).
Section 2 states that the Amending Principles commence on the commencement of Schedule 1 to the Aged Care Amendment (Residential Care) Act 2007.
Section 3 states that Schedule 1 amends the Records Principles.
Schedule 1 Amendments
Item 1
This item inserts three new definitions for terms to be used in the Records Principles. These terms are the ‘Answer Appraisal Pack’, the ‘application for classification’ and the ‘Assessment Pack’. For each term, reference is made to the definition of that term found in the Classification Principles 1997.
Item 2
This item substitutes paragraph 19.5(a) with new paragraphs 19.5(a), 19.5(aa) and 19.5(ab).
The new paragraphs state specific records that must be kept related to ACFI assessments, appraisals and reappraisals for care recipients. New paragraph 19.5(a) refers to assessments of care recipients. Paragraph 19.5(aa) refers to Answer Appraisal Packs including assessment tools and sources of evidence. Paragraph 19.5(ab) refers to applications for classification for care recipients.
These new requirements will reduce the amount of record-keeping needed to support residential care funding for each care recipient.