Victorian Aged Care Response Centre
The Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (VACRC) has been established to co-ordinate and expand resources to address the issue of COVID-19 in aged care facilities. Key focus of the VACRC is to unify the effort across every aspect of the aged care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The VACRC will provide the following functions:
- establish and maintain unity of effort in response to outbreaks in aged care facilities
- coordinate a rapid response to outbreaks in aged care facilities
- mitigate the spread of infection
- coordinate quality control of the workforce in aged care facilities where residents and/or workers have tested positive for COVID-19
- work with approved aged care providers to prevent further outbreaks
- maintain personal protective equipment supplies
- improve communication with family members of people living in aged care facilities where there has been an outbreak
- work with aged care providers to manage, coordinate and allocate staff to aged care facilities
National Aged Care Emergency Response Program
The National Aged Care Emergency Response program has been created to provide workforce support to aged care facilities experiencing staff shortages because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program mobilises experienced aged care workers from areas across Australia without community transmission of COVID-19. The initial focus of the program will be on Victoria’s aged care facilities.
Aged care workers will be deployed in teams of six to aged care facilities for four weeks, followed by two weeks of quarantine when they return. The workforce will be funded by the Government and will include registered nurses, enrolled nurses, personal care workers and cleaners.
Emergency leave
Aged care residents are entitled to 52 days of social leave during the financial year without losing their place in the aged care facility. During this time, residents continue to pay ongoing care fees and daily accommodation costs and the Government continues to pay subsidies to the aged care facility. Where residents exceed 52 days, the Government will cease to pay subsidies and the aged care facility can charge residents a reservation fee to retain their place. Emergency leave has been introduced to allow aged care residents to take temporary leave from an aged care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic without using social leave.
Emergency leave is available from 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2021. While on emergency leave, residents will continue to pay fees and the Government will continue to pay subsidies as with social leave. After 30 June 2021, residents will have another 52 days of social leave for the financial year.
The information contained in this update is current as at 28 September 2020 unless otherwise specified and is provided by Challenger Life Company Limited ABN 44 072 486 938, AFSL 234670 (Challenger), the issuer of Challenger annuities (Annuity(ies)). It is intended solely for licensed financial advisers and this update must not be passed on to retail clients. The examples shown are for illustrative purposes only and are not a prediction or guarantee of any particular outcome. This information is not intended to be financial product advice and has been prepared without taking into account any person’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Each person should, therefore, consider its appropriateness having regard to these matters and the information in the product disclosure statement (PDS) for the applicable Annuity before deciding whether to acquire or continue to hold an Annuity. A copy of the PDS is available at challenger.com.au or by contacting our Adviser Services Team on 1800 621 009. This document may include statements of opinion, forward looking statements, forecasts or predictions based on current expectations about future events and results.
Actual results may be materially different from those shown. This is because outcomes reflect the assumptions made and may be affected by known or unknown risks and uncertainties that are not able to be presently identified. Neither Challenger nor its related bodies corporate nor any of their employees receive any specific remuneration for any advice provided in respect of the Annuity. Some or all of Challenger group companies and their directors may benefit from fees and other benefits received by another group company. Any taxation, Centrelink and/or Department of Veterans’ Affairs illustrations are based on current law at the time of writing which may change at a future date. Neither Challenger, nor any of its officers or employees, is a registered tax (financial) adviser under the Tax Agent Service Act and it is not licensed or authorised to provide tax or social security advice. Before acting, we strongly recommend that prospective investors obtain financial product advice, as well as taxation and applicable social security advice from a professional and registered tax agent who can take into account the investor’s individual circumstances.
