Mental Health Matters: Our Minds, Our Rights
Our NurseGen newsletters are an intentional investment of our time to offer our fellow NurseGenies a monthly dose of aged care nurse related information, and inspiration.
We make sure it’s short, easy to digest, and will only have links to longer reads that you can choose to click or ditch.
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DON’T GET BANNED…
The Aged Care Banning Orders Register which was commenced in January 2023 has seen 71 people banned (55 of those being permanently banned) over the past nine months. This register protects aged care consumers and can list any individual that does not comply with the Code of Conduct for Aged Care (implemented December 2022), whether or not they are aged care workers. This means volunteers and board members are affected too. Read more about the Register here.
LIFT ‘YO GAME
The Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission) previously described its approach to regulatory action using a Regulatory Pyramid (ACQSC Regulatory Strategy, January 2020). The Regulatory Pyramid covered the Commission’s four broad activities of: Education and Engagement (including Provider approvals and Complaints Resolution), Administrative actions, Enforceable regulatory action, and Revocation of provider approval.
Since then, the new ACQSC Corporate Plan 2023-2024 from the Commission has seen continued maturation of their commitment to quality improvement in that the new approach is now a Regulatory Diamond. Shown below, this update to the Commission’s regulatory approach has the additional layers of: Promoting, influencing and developing best practice; and Celebrating best practice. To reach the top tip of the diamond is truly something worth striving for!
PREPARE FOR THE NEW STANDARDS
Curious about what’s coming next? “Strengthened Quality Standards are expected to apply from 1 July 2024, subject to parliamentary processes” (ACQSC Corporate Plan 2023-2024).
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably trying to see if there are any similarities that will carry over into the new standards. Until more information is released, the below is a very rudimentary attempt at easing our transition to adjust to the proposed (draft) quality standards.
WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
In the Commission’s Sector performance report - April – June 2023, a total of 2,636 residential aged care services had the following outcomes (image on left). Which group does your aged care home fall into?
- 😥 Subject of a complaint
- 😫 More than one complaint
- 😅 NOT the subject of a complaint
As a comparison, the pie chart on the right side shows the results for the previous financial year (July 2022 – June 2023).
Our #hottip for complaints handling? Show your concern and compassion for the complainant. When concerns are voiced, it is often a cry to feel seen and heard.
Maintain a position of curiosity, and remember: “The number of complaints does not necessarily reflect the quality of the service... a service with a positive complaints culture will encourage feedback and use it as an opportunity to improve their services.” (ACQSC, Sector performance report - April – June 2023)
TIME IS UP!
From 1 October, residential aged care providers must meet care minutes targets. These targets are for the care time residents receive from:
- registered nurses (RNs)
- enrolled nurses
- personal care workers.
These care minutes DO NOT include the time of:
- allied health staff
- lifestyle and recreational staff
- other aged care staff who work in catering (including plating and serving), hotel services, facility and room cleaning, or maintenance and gardening
This month of October, don’t forget to…
- Advocate for an older person. The International Day of Older Persons on 1 October this year has the theme of "Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations”. Read more about it here.
- Graciously receive appreciation from others for your caring contribution as an aged care nurse. Caring may be part of our nature, but it is still work – and on 2 October, ACT, NSW, NT, QLD and SA took the (Labour Day) day off to celebrate the hard-working employees in their states/ territories.
- Smile more – it makes you look younger. Practice this anti-aging technique that’s celebrated on World Smile Day (6 October); if you get a smile back, you just helped someone else keep their youth! 😊
- Be kind to your neighbour – everyone has a mental health condition; is yours in good health? On 10 October, communities around the world will be using World Mental Health Day to promote and protect “everyone’s mental health as a universal human right”. Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health. Yet all over the world, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against, while many more cannot access the mental health care they need or can only access care that violates their human rights. (World Health Organisation). Read more here.
- Wish a resident “Happy Grandparents’ Day” on 29 October. Take an interest in their family. Even if they are not a grandparent, you could share your favourite stories about your grandparents, or if you have grandchildren of your own, share your favourite stories about your grandchildren to brighten their day.
As always, if you’d like assistance with anything related to aged care nursing, whether you are a nurse or a provider, your Nurse Generation team is here to support you. We are here to take care of the people (YOU) who take care of the people (OUR RESIDENTS).
To your optimal mental health,
Qing
Chief Experience Officer
