News digest

BlueCross acquires a 70-bed facility; study to define work of advanced nursing; Men’s Sheds set to expand across Victoria; resources on accommodation pricing available.

 

In this story:

  • BlueCross acquires a 70-bed facility
  • Study to define work of advanced nursing
  • Men’s Sheds set to expand across Victoria
  • Resources on accommodation pricing available

BlueCross acquires a 70-bed facility

BlueCross has added 70 beds to its portfolio following the recent acquisition of Chelsea Manor aged care residence in the Melbourne suburb of Chelsea.

Victorian residential and community care provider BlueCross assumed ownership of the facility on 17 February and said the purchase was in line with its vision of growth, through development and acquisition over the next five years.

Chelsea Manor, which was formerly managed by single residence operator Retirement Aged Care Management, gives the provider an additional 70 low care places, including a secure dementia specific care wing and respite places.

BlueCross continued to invest in developing and acquiring residences that provide high quality person-centred care and Chelsea Manor complemented its portfolio and investment strategy, and would be a highly valued addition to the organisation, it said in a statement.

Men’s Sheds set to expand across Victoria

Forty-one new Men’s Sheds will be built across Victoria with an investment of nearly $4.9 million.

The Victorian Government announced it was providing more than $2.2 million for the project, while nearly $2.7 million would be provided by local council, Federal Government, philanthropic organisations, community groups and fundraising activities.

Victorian Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge said Men’s Sheds provided men with opportunities to develop and use new skills, establish social networks and give back to their local community. “These grants will help more men to get involved in their local communities and they will also give more communities access to better facilities in their local area,” she said.

Grants of up to $60,000 per shed will be put towards building new sheds or to converting existing buildings into Men’s Sheds over the next 18 months. Ms Wooldridge and Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle announced that a new shed would be built at Federation Square.

More than 230 sheds are currently operating across Victoria. Further information is available here.

Study to define work of advanced nursing

Nursing researchers from Queensland University of Technology and University of Technology Sydney have launched a study to define advanced practice nursing in Australia.

Professor Glenn Gardner (QUT) and Professor Christine Duffield (UTS) said the large study would help the health industry to understand the service capability of different levels of nursing practice.

While there was an increased use of advanced practice nurses in the health workforce, there was also growing confusion about their roles and titles, the researchers said.

Nurse Practitioners, registered nurses and midwives are currently being asked to contribute to the national study by completing the National Nursing and Midwifery Workforce Survey launched on Wednesday.

The research project is funded by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).

There are currently over 250 000 RNs and 1004 Nurse Practitioners registered in Australia.

Complete the survey now. If you have any questions about the survey,  email Project Coordinator Marg Adams m5.adams@qut.edu.au.

Resources on accommodation pricing available

The Aged Care Pricing Commissioner has published the manual assessors will use to assess applications for accommodation payments above the $550,000 Refundable Accommodation Deposit threshold.

The assessor manual, along with the application form and application guide providers should use to apply to set accommodation prices above the threshold, are available from the Accommodation Payments page of the Aged Care Pricing Commissioner’s website.

In a post on her website, Aged Care Pricing Commissioner Kim Cull said she wished to remind providers seeking to charge a price on or after 1 July 2014 above the $550,000 Refundable Accommodation Deposit threshold, or more than $99.72 per day as a Daily Accommodation Payment, or any equivalent combination, that they must apply to the commissioner for approval of that price.

Applications are now open.

Tags: bluecross, mens-shed, nursing,

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