May

31

2022

Webinar series explores COVID-19 and influenza outbreaks in RACFs

This three-part webinar series, starting 8 June, will explore allied and mental health MBS funding and effective strategies for prevention, response and recovery in residential aged care facilities (RACF) COVID/influenza (dual) outbreaks.

COVID-19 outbreaks in RACFs have demonstrated the critical role for allied health and general practice in mitigating the impact of a COVID-19 outbreak. In response, Healthy North Coast will deliver a three-part webinar series that looks at prevention and preparedness, response and recovery, starting on Wednesday 8 June 2022.

General practices also have access to a quality improvement activity, which will help to increase GP preparedness, response and medical coverage during a COVID-19 outbreak in residential aged care. You can access the quality improvement activity here.

 

About the webinar series

Facilitated by Bron McCrae, Deputy Director of Healthy Ageing at Healthy North Coast, this three-part webinar series will explore the integrated team in RACF COVID-19 and dual outbreaks. It invites Kim Poyner, registered nurse and founder of Medicoach and a panel of allied health professionals to discuss allied and mental health MBS codes and funding, and effective strategies for prevention and preparedness (webinar 1), response (webinar 2) and recovery (webinar 3).

‘Multidisciplinary care for residents of residential aged care facilities is crucial for the effective management of a COVID-19 or dual outbreak,’ Ms McCrae said.

‘Under new MBS items, allied health providers may claim a call-out or “flag-fall” fee to cover their costs to travel to a RACF for face-to-face services. This webinar series will take a deep dive into these MBS items and how they can be used for allied health interventions in the preparation/prevention, response and recovery management of COVID-19 and dual (COVID-19 and influenza) outbreaks.

‘We will discuss de-conditioning and what it really means, ideas for conditioning programs pre-, during and post outbreaks, what is achievable for residents isolating in their rooms, and how partners in care can help ensure residents do not de-condition and remain in good physical and mental health.’

Please share this webinar series with your colleagues.

 

Webinar 1: Register here 

PREVENTION PANEL DISCUSSION – the MBS codes and the integrated team’s preventative measures  

Wednesday 8 June 2022

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Following a 30-minute presentation on MBS codes from Kim Poyner, RN and founder of Medicoach, the panel will discuss how to prepare residents for a COVID-19 / dual outbreak.

 

Content covered:

  • allied and mental health MBS funding available
  • resident preparation from the perspective of allied health professionals in the event of a COVID or dual outbreak
  • preventative measures that will support the mental health of residents and their partners in care during an outbreak
  • ways to build resilience in residents.

 

Webinar 2: Register here 

RESPONSE PANEL DISCUSSION – the integrated team and outbreak response measures 

Thursday 16 June 2022

10:00am – 11:00am

The panel will discuss de-conditioning and what options are available for residents during a COVID-19/dual outbreak.

Content covered:

  • allied health presentation of de-conditioning factors
  • resident response from the perspective of allied health professionals in the event of a COVID or dual outbreak
  • response measures that will support the mental health of residents and their partners in care during an outbreak
  • ways to maintain resilience in residents.

 

Webinar 3: Register here 

RECOVERY PANEL DISCUSSION – the integrated team and outbreak recovery measures 

Friday 24 June 2022

1:00pm – 2:00pm

The panel will discuss recovery strategies for supporting residents following an RACF outbreak.

Content covered:

  • resident recovery from the perspective of allied health professionals following a COVID or dual outbreak
  • recovery measures that will support the mental health of residents and their partners in care following an outbreak
  • ways to rebuild resilience in residents in the recovery stage.

If you cannot make the live sessions, please register anyway to receive the video recordings.

Facilitated by: Bron McCrae, Deputy Director Healthy Ageing, Healthy North Coast.

 

Panellists

  • Kim Poyner, Register Nurse and founder of Medicoach
  • Michael Harders, Physiotherapist, Optimum Allied Health
  • Kristy Harper, Occupational Therapist and Clinical Director at Cirrus Health
  • Karly Bartrim, Dietician, Studio4
  • Julie Aganoff, Psychologist and Director, ChangeFutures.

 

Learning objectives:

  • examine the allied and mental health MBS codes that are available for use in RACFs
  • describe the important contributions of facilitating access to allied health services for residents
  • identify prevention, response and recovery initiatives from the perspective of allied health professionals before, in the event of, and following a COVID or dual outbreak
  • build, maintain and rebuild resilience in residents in the various stages of a COVID-19 or dual outbreak.

 

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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands across our region, and pay our respect to Elders past, present and on their journey. We recognise these lands were never ceded and acknowledge the continuation of culture and connection to the land, sky and sea. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Land’s first peoples and honour the rich diversity of the oldest living cultures.

Healthy North Coast is an independent, not-for-profit organisation proudly delivering the PHN program in North Coast NSW. We are committed to improving the health of our communities through quality primary health care.
The PHN program is an Australian Government Initiative.
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Aged Care Disaster Management Planning

Strategic Priority Area: One team

North Coast is identified as the region most likely to be impacted by climate change in Australia and also forecasted greatest growth in those 65+.

Healthy North Coast takes a lead role in ensuring the older population and the sector that supports them are prepared for, can respond to and recover from disasters and other emergencies.

We have led eight regional disaster management capacity building workshops, bringing together SES, community organisations and the aged care sector.

We have also developed disaster preparedness tip sheets for both residential and community aged care providers.

Read the media release: Aged Care Homes Prepare for Disasters

Voluntary Assisted Dying

Strategic Priority Area: One team

In May 2022, the NSW Parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022. Effective from Tuesday, 28 November 2023, eligible people have the choice to access voluntary assisted dying. 

Healthy North Coast has developed a webpage for both health professionals and consumers, with links to available information and resources.

Visit the Voluntary Assisted Dying webpage

Living with Dementia resources

Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind

Healthy North Coast has worked with people living with dementia, their families and local service providers to develop an information booklet that will help them connect with local and national supports along their journey.

The booklet includes commonly asked questions for people to ask their GP and/or specialist.

The resource is available in digital and printed copies, with more than 5,000 distributed across the region. An e-version is available to clinicians via the Dementia and Cognitive Impairment HealthPathway.

View the Living with Dementia booklet (PDF)

Deteriorating Resident Triage Tool Pilot

Strategic Priority Area: One team

The Deteriorating Resident Response Tool (DRRT) has been developed to guide RN’s in Residential Aged Care homes (RACHs) to better understand, anticipate and make clinical decisions responding to the deteriorating health of residents.

The objective of the DRRT is to give RACH staff clear information to triage and provide appropriate care for a range of residents’ health conditions, and, in turn, prevent unnecessary presentations to ED.

The tool has been designed together with a specialist geriatrician, consulting with stakeholders such as Residential Aged Care Managers, NSW Ambulance, GPs, and experts from Mid and North Coast LHDs.

The pilot commences in March with four participating RACHs. Evaluation measures will include effectiveness in building RN confidence and reported reduction in unnecessary hospitalisations. Findings will inform a future planned, region-wide implementation.

View the deteriorating resident response tool

North Coast Care Finders Program

Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind

The Care Finders program is a free region-wide service to support vulnerable older people who have no-one else to help them, to learn about, apply for and set up support services.

Care finders can help people understand what aged care services are available, set up an assessment, and find and choose services. They also help people with access to other supports in the community, both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.

On the North Coast, Healthy North Coast has commissioned four organisations to provide this important service: EACH, Carexcell, Lifetime Connect and Footprints.

Visit the commissioned services listings to find out more, including service contact information.
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Psychological services in residential aged care homes

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

Healthy North Coast commissions two service providers to deliver psychological therapies and supports for older people with, or at risk of developing, a mental illness and who are living in residential aged care homes (RACHs).

The aim of the program is to both provide direct support to residents and their families and carers, as well as upskill the RACH workforce to respond to the needs of residents presenting with mental health concerns.

Visit the commissioned services listings to find out more, including service contact information.​

Social prescribing (Healthy Me Healthy Community)

Strategic Priority Area: Securing a Healthier Future

Delivered by Feros Care, the Healthy Me, Healthy Community program aims to build individual and community connections to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing in Port Macquarie.

The program helps people to connect with community, activities, supports and services that address their broader social determinants of health, as an alternative or supplement to a clinical approach.

Visit the Healthy Me Healthy Community service page
Read the consumer story: Jim’s confidence boost brings a new lease on life
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Digital Health in Residential Aged Care

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

Timely access to primary health care professionals, whether through face-to-face consultation or telehealth, is recognised as an issue for many Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs), that in some cases can lead to potentially preventable hospitalisations. RACHs require adequate telehealth facilities to support access to virtual consultations for their residents.

Project goals

  • Assist participating RACHs to have appropriate telehealth facilities and equipment to enable their residents to virtually consult when needed with their primary health care professionals, specialists and other clinicians. 
  • Provide training to participating RACH staff to support them to have the capabilities to assist their residents in accessing virtual consultation services.
  • Encourage increased use of My Health Record by RACHs, to improve the availability and secure transfer of resident’s health care information between RACHs, primary care and acute care settings.
For more information, visit the Residential Aged Care Virtual Care Project webpage
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Greater Choice at Home Palliative Care Program

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

Aims to provide people who have life limiting conditions the opportunity to exercise choice and receive high quality care at home, harnessing improved and better coordinated supports and services that meet their individual needs.

Program objectives:

  • Improve access to palliative care at home and support end-of-life care systems and services (in primary health care and community care)
  • To enable the right care at the right time and in the right place (to reduce unnecessary hospitalisation)
  • Generate and use data to support continuous improvement of services across sectors
  • Use available technologies to support flexible and responsive palliative care at home, including in the after-hours.

These objectives will contribute to achieving the following intended overarching outcomes of:

  • Improved capacity and responsiveness of services to meet local needs and priorities
  • Improved patient access to quality palliative care services in the home
  • Improved coordination of care for patients across health care providers and integration of palliative care services in their region.
Download the 2023 Palliative and End-of-life Care Needs Assessment (PDF)

Education & training funding elibility

Funding is open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.

References

  1. Healthy North Coast Health Needs Assessment, 2022-2025
  2. Northern Rivers Vital Signs, 2023
  3. Northern Rivers Community Foundation Flood Impact Report, May 2023
  4. Centre for Evidence and Innovation, Participatory Grantmaking: Building the Evidence, May 2023
  5. Lee, G., Vine, K., Atkinson, A-R., Tong, M., Longman, J., Barratt, A., Bailie, R., Vardoulakis, S., Matthews, V., & Mizanur Rahman, K. (2023). Impacts of Climate Change on Health and Health Services in Northern New South Wales, Australia: A Rapid Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 6285. 
  6. Sewell, T., Stephens, R., Dominey-Howes, D., Bruce, E., & Perkins-Kirkpatrick, S. (2016), Disaster declarations associated with bushfires, floods and storms in New South Wales, Australia between 2004 and 2014. Scientific Reports (6). 
  7. Dominey-Howes, D., Bruce, E., Stephens, R., Perkins-Kirkpatrick, S., & Sewell, T. (2016). Natural disasters are affecting some of Australia’s most disadvantaged communities. The Conversation. Natural disasters are affecting some of Australia’s most disadvantaged communities (theconversation.com).

Workforce Locum support and R&R funding criteria

  • Available to primary care services in disaster impacted communities within the Healthy North Coast footprint.
  • Available to support short-term workforce coverage, allowing clinicians to rest and recover.
  • Workforce-support funding in total is capped for each site, over a 12-month period:
    • $10k for GPs and/or
    • $5K for nursing and/or
    • $5k administration support and/or
    • $5K allied/pharmacy and other.
  • Funding is not to be used to fill gaps in staffing that have not been able to recruit to and not to replace existing staff.
  • Healthy North Coast will assess requirements and approve available funding directly with the service requesting support.
  • Priority will be given to sites that have immediate, short-term workforce support needs.
  • Requests will be reviewed and supported on a case-by-case basis.
  • Program funding administered via RCTI Agreement (Recipient Created Tax Invoice) to be paid monthly, or on completion of the placement (whichever comes first).
  • Practices will be required to complete a request for payment form monthly, or on completion of the placement (whichever occurs first).

Wellbeing Flexible Funding Criteria & Eligibility

  • Open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.
  • Activity must be purposeful, with the aim of increasing the wellbeing of your team.
  • Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with funding allocated based on team size.*
  • Following approval by Healthy North Coast, funding will be administered via RCTI Agreement (Recipient Created Tax Invoice) upon providing proof of expenses.
  • Funding cannot be used for the purchase of alcohol, or any other goods or services where the vendor cannot quote their Australian Business Number.
  • Planned activities must occur prior to 30th June 2024.
  • Funding will not be available for retrospective activities.
*Team Size
(Total staff and contractors)		Funding Available
Small (1-5)$500-$1500
Medium (6-20)$1500-$4000
Large (>20)$4000-$5000