Monthly Archives

April 2024

Free webinar on recent changes to the AEWV

By Upcoming WorkshopsNo Comments

The Aged Care Association is pleased to announce a free webinar on the recent changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) for all its members. The webinar will be held online on Tuesday, the 14th of May from 12 to 1 PM.

Immigration experts from Aims Global NZ will be talking through the key changes affecting the aged residential care sector and help address any general queries that the participants may have on recruiting workers under AEWV.

The webinar will cover the following topics:

  • Latest immigration changes
  • New definitions and requirements
  • Changing goals in immigration processing
  • Accreditation obligations
  • Re-accreditation

Click here to register.

 

Webinar Facilitators:

Arunima Dhingra, CEO & Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser #200900407, Aims Global and Chair, NZAMI

Ritika Singh, Head of Corporate Division, Aims Global

 

Please note the following:

  • Only registered participants will be able to join the webinar.
  • In case you register and are unable to attend the webinar, we will not be able to share a recording, but an email summarising key points will be circulated.
  • By registering for the webinar, you are consenting to share your contact details (name and email address) with Aims Global NZ.
  • If you’d like to share any queries in advance, please write to sneha@nzaca.org.nz and we’ll try our best to address the same at the webinar.

Click here to register.

 

Webinar partner:

ACA appoints Hon. Tracey Martin as new chief executive

By Media ReleasesNo Comments

The Aged Care Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Hon. Tracey Martin as chief executive. Ms Martin served as the Minister for Seniors between 2017 and 2020, and has also held the offices of Minister for Children, Minister of Internal Affairs and Associate Minister of Education. Leaving her roles as chair of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Board Member at NZ Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi, Tracey will be starting in her new position on 6 May 2024.

“I am excited to be joining the small but highly energised team at the Association and am looking forward to building off the excellent work done to date in advocating for the strong and well-supported care sector our more senior New Zealanders deserve,” says Tracey.

“There are some critical conversations underway that have the potential to both positively and negatively impact the future of residential care for those who need this sector’s support and services. It is my goal to engage with ACA members to ensure that their needs and the needs of the residents they care for, are accurately reflected in these conversations.”

“We are pleased to welcome Ms Martin to the Aged Care Association at such a pivotal time for aged residential care in New Zealand. Her rich knowledge and understanding of the sector, coupled with her previous experience as a minister and strong networks within government agencies will be invaluable,” says ACA chair Simon O’Dowd.

“Tracey Martin’s appointment reflects the Association’s commitment to advocating for better policies to support our members provide quality care for the elderly across Aotearoa. We are grateful to have someone of her calibre to lead us in these efforts,” he said.

New Zealand’s elders need fit-for-purpose aged care – now and into the future

By Media ReleasesNo Comments

The Sapere report on the state of the aged care affirms what the government has known for at almost two decades, says the Aged Care Association (ACA).

The first part of a full review of aged care services and funding, the report’s findings are consistent with the findings of the 2000 PWC report, the 2010 Grant Thornton report, 2014 Grant Thornton report the 2019 EY report, several Ansell Strategic reports, and the Aged Care Association’s own research.

ACA chair, Simon O’Dowd says, “Governments of the past 15 years have ignored the evidence and neglected the aged care sector. We are now at a point where over half of all aged care facilities are making a loss.”

“Unless there is a significant change of strategy and focus to support and fund the sector now, we will see thousands of New Zealanders unable to get the care they need within a decade. As the report notes, there is already an average waiting time of six months for people with dementia to get the care they need, and the country will be short 12,000 aged care beds within a decade.”

“The second part of the aged care service and funding review is critical. We are at a tipping point. If we don’t get this right, the consequences will be dire for the entire health system.”

“There are always going to be people who need round-the-clock care. We need to make sure that residential aged care is always available, and that includes hospital-level care, dementia care, care for young people with disabilities, and palliative care. If that care is not able to be provided in the aged care sector, it will be provided in hospitals; limiting the care available for others.”

“It is our expectation that the Association will be working closely with the Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora review team to develop and implement solutions for the aged care sector that will enable us to provide quality care for New Zealand’s seniors, now and into the future,” O’Dowd says.

Workshop for facility managers and aspiring leaders

By Upcoming WorkshopsNo Comments

The Aged Care Association is pleased to announce the programme for the 2024 workshop for facility managers and aspiring leaders.

These one-day workshops are jam-packed with information and learning that will improve your professional practice and reinvigorate your work life.

The workshops are facilitated by the ACA’s clinical advisor, Rhonda Sherriff, who as well as making sure the day runs smoothly, is available during breaks to answer your clinical questions.

You will receive a certificate of attendance confirming eight hours of professional development.

Monday 10 June | Christchurch
Tuesday 11 June | Dunedin
Monday 17 June | Auckland
Tuesday 18 June | Tauranga
Monday 24 June | Wellington

Scroll down for detailed information about the workshop schedule, programme, venues and parking.

Click here to register now!

Healing, learning and improving from harm: National adverse events policy.

Dr Leona Dan, System Safety Specialist from the Health, Quality & Safety Commission will give an introduction to the new adverse events reporting requirements and answer your questions about this new reporting regime.

“SAC rating is not an exact science and is decided with input from the clinical team as well as the perspective of the consumer.

The ratings are based on the type of harm that occurs and the resulting loss of function and amount of intervention required. The purpose of a learning from harm review is to look at events from a system perspective considering all the influencing factors and context that contribute to everyday work. The learning comes from a sensemaking process and should be directed at strengthening the system to support workers to be successful and to minimise the risk of things happening again.”

Outcomes of Ngā Paerewa Standards audits – trends and lessons

Lisa Cochrane, an aged residential care auditor at BSI group will join us to discuss the trends she is seeing in recent audits.

BSI works with a wide range of health and disability services such as small homes for people with disabilities, Māori services, large multi-site and stand-alone aged care providers, hospitals, allied health professionals, surgical services, maternity, urgent care, hospice and small and large home care/health services.

They have a team of qualified auditors who audit against standards in the healthcare sector and are fully committed to building quality in health care services throughout New Zealand.

An update from the Health and Disability Commission

Katherine Foulkes, Principal Adviser, Aged Care, Health and Disability Commission

Quality care for LGBTIQA+ residents in aged residential care

Changing demographics mean that aged residential care is becoming more diverse as the years go by and we must be ready to provide appropriate quality care for people of all genders and sexualities. This session will feature facilitators from InsideOut, a national charity providing education, resources, consultation and support for anything concerning rainbow and takatāpui communities. They will support managers with resources and practical tips for cultivating a safer and more inclusive environment for rainbow people, both at the structural and interpersonal level.

An aged care system that is fit for the future

This presentation from the Aged Care Association will update you on the challenges facing the sector now, and into the future, what the ACA is doing about, and what we believe a fit for purpose aged care sector could look like 10 or 20 years from now.

Click here to register now!

Workshop schedule, venues and parking information

Christchurch | Monday 10 June
Rydges Latimer, 30 Latimer Square, Christchurch Central
Parking at Rydges is $20 a day. There is surrounding street parking (free of charge) within walking distance of the hotel.

Dunedin | Tuesday 11 June
Fable Dunedin, 310 Princes Street, Central Dunedin
Valet parking at the hotel is $40. Street parking is available for $1.50 an hour. Time limits may apply.

Auckland | Monday 17 June
Grand Millenium, 71 Mayoral Drive, Cnr Vincent Street, Auckland
Parking is available on site and costs $25 per day.

Tauranga | Tuesday 18 June
Cubro, 149 Taurikura Drive, Tauriko, Tauranga
Parking is free at the venue and in surrounding streets.

Wellington | Monday 24 June
Lower Hutt Events Centre, 30c Laings Road, Hutt Central, Lower Hutt
The Riddiford Garden carpark is adjacent to Lower Hutt Events Centre on Laings Road ($6 a day). The Centre City Plaza car park is located 250 metres from the venue on Queens Drive (Earlybird $8.00 per day) and the large Riverbank car park is 800 metres from the centre, accessible from Daly Street (maximum daily charge $7.00).

Click here to register now!

Programme overview

8.30am | Welcome and introductions, Rhonda Sherriff, Facilitator and ACA clinical advisor
8.40am | ACA presentation – An aged care sector that’s fit for the future, Liz Robinson, ACA Communications and Engagement Advisor
9.00am | Outcomes of Ngā Paerewa Standards audits – trends and lessons, Lisa Cochrane, BSI group Head of Delivery (Health)
10.30am | Morning tea and networking
11.00am | Healing, learning and improving from harm: National adverse events policy, Dr Leona Dan, Specialist, System Safety, Health, Quality & Safety Commission
12.00pm | Lunch and networking
12.45pm | Katherine Foulkes, Principal Adviser, Aged Care, Health and Disability Commission
2.15pm | Working afternoon tea
2.45pm | Quality care for LGBTIQA+ residents in aged residential care, InsideOut
4.15pm | Closing comments and farewells, Rhonda Sherriff

Click here to register now!

If you have any questions about the workshops, please get in touch with Liz Robinson at liz@nzaca.org.nz.

Free webinar for facility managers on energy efficient operations

By Upcoming WorkshopsNo Comments

The Aged Care Association and the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority are jointly hosting this free webinar on Tuesday, 7th May 2024.

The webinar will commence promptly at 11 AM and conclude by 12 PM.

Click here to register and add to your calendar

In this webinar, sustainability experts from EECA will provide an overview of EECA’s Aged Care & Retirement Living Decarbonisation Pathway. EECA will also introduce the attendees to the various tools and resources designed by their experts to help ARC facilities measure their energy usage and understand how they could optimise their existing resources to make savings in their operations while also reducing emissions.

The webinar will also be an opportunity for facility managers to share their own experiences and challenges with energy efficient operations.

Your participation in this workshop will be highly valuable as your inputs will feed into the work on ACA and EECA’s joint commitments on working towards an energy efficient ARC sector.

The objectives of this workshop are as follows:

  1. To familiarise ARC owners and facility managers with EECA’s decarbonisation pathway tools and resources
  2. To understand the challenges that ARC leaders experience in the energy efficiency and sustainability pathway

Click here to register and add to your calendar

About EECA:

EECA is a Crown agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004, established to carry out specific functions under the Energy and Efficiency Conservation Act 2000. EECA’s purpose is to promote energy efficiency, energy conservation and the use of renewable sources of energy. This is done through raising awareness of energy efficiency and renewable energy in society, promoting industry-level practices and technologies to further energy efficiency, monitoring energy efficiency in New Zealand, conducting research and liaising with government on energy efficiency matters.

ACA and EECA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly promote energy efficiency in ARC through trainings and knowledge-sharing.

This webinar is brought to you by is brought to you by the Aged Care Association Education Trust and EECA.