I thought i would start this thread to create some discussion amongth nurses in all levels working in Aged Care.
How is the new funding tool for aged care (ACFI) going in your facility?
Who is using an IT based software system for there documentation nursing progress notes, care plans and forms? Which system do you use and is it saving you time?
Or please just have your say? have you had a bad day, are you fed up with it all? what frustrates you -> should we lobby the government to legislate safe ratios in aged care?
ENs should have a career structure in aged care!
ENs working in team leader roles, or roles traditionally done by RNs, should there be an extra level created/pay point for these nurses
What do you think? you dont have to respond to every question, just reply to the one that interests you...
Specializes in A&E, District Nursing, & Aged Care.
So how is everyone going? I just attended a national australian conference for the Aged & Community Services (national peak body for non-profit aged care organisations in australia). They held this conference for 3 days starting 29/9...The best session was on the second day I felt, and that was the panel of 2 government officals and 2 stake holders discussing ACFI (our funding instrument recently released by the federal government). The ACFI has 12 questions in total that is used as an audit tool to 'rate' a resident in 3 different areas; the 12 questions are divided amounst these 3 headings 1. ADLs 2. Behaviours 3 Complex Health Care...I think there is 63 different possible funding possibilities with this funding instrument....how are you funded in the US?
Did anyone attend the conference I mentioned in Adelaide earlier this week, if so what did you like the best? Unfortunately I didnt network very much because I was with 2 other work collegues miss oppurtunity!!
Our funding is multiple. People pay privately to live in the independent living and assisted living. In the nursing home we have people who pay privately, our Medicare people are there for short term rehab and qualify for Medicare benefits which pay 100% for the first 20 days then 80% for the next 80 days then it is exhausted. These people are responsible to pay for the 20% difference. Some have private insurance that covers this difference and other don't. If they don't they pay privately for the 20%. Then the person pays 100% privately if they wish to stay after the 100 days. Average cost per month is $7,000 U.S. dollars. We also have a few beds that are public aid which is paid for 100% by the state. These residents have to had exhausted all their money, assets, etc. and can only have $1,000. We do philanthropy, a lot of fund raising for donations that comes from private people, local businesses, etc.
I have worked in aged care for 20 years and have seen 3 different funding systems come and go... I have been hannds on use on the ACFI system since its beginning. The biggest differences occur in the fact that it wants to now the patients needs and does not worry about what the nurses actually do to improve their patients lives. For example in continence they are only interested in wheather the patient is incontinent or not. Not interested in the possibility of the hard work nurses provide to improve continence or prevent incontinence. We do however have to continue to provide these interventions for standards. This seems to be a common thread with all ACFI assessments and funding. The RND2's are team leaders in nursing home and are paid a medication endorsed allowence and a further team leader allowence if they are a team leader, in the evenings and sometimes in the morning they are in charge on the floor but there is a supervising RND1 in the building at all times covering both hostel and nursing home.
This is so true! In my first year out of TAFE after I finished my EEN course, I was doing all of the above. In our facility on all afternoon shifts the EENs are the senior staff managing the floor. We definanatly take alot of the traditional RNs role which I don't mind at all but at the same time, with the extra responsibility should come extra pay... Then again there are the PCs and AINs who are doing alot of the ENs traditional responisibilities and getting paid pennies! They deserve more as well...
You are right and very very true! Since I finished my EEN TAFE right after I started doing all as above. As well as PM shift's and some time AM shift's when there is no RN's on duty to replace the EEN's are the Senior staff managing the floor, doing the Wound Care Management, Insulin's, DD arounds, Doctor's around you name it etc. You are right again PCA's and AIN's are doing the medications, BP,P,T, Sat 02 as you said that is the traditional reponisibilities of an EN's. I agree with you all the way.
After dipping my toe in an aged care facility, I think dv 2's nurses that work with pca's who work outside their scope of practice eg: make diagnoses and tell families what should be happening with their relatives and verbally abuse the Dv 1, deserve the best pay as possible.
I personally will only work alongside pca's out in the community, where my experience is that everyone appreciates others experience and education.
I have spoken to other Dv 1's and my experience has been many a Dv 1's experience and cause for them to leave aged care.
After dipping my toe in an aged care facility, I think dv 2's nurses that work with pca's who work outside their scope of practice eg: make diagnoses and tell families what should be happening with their relatives and verbally abuse the Dv 1, deserve the best pay as possible.
I personally will only work alongside pca's out in the community, where my experience is that everyone appreciates others experience and education.
I have spoken to other Dv 1's and my experience has been many a Dv 1's experience and cause for them to leave aged care.
It depends in which Aged Care Facility you work at. I worked for the passed 21 years in the same Aged Care Facility and I would never leave aged care as a EEN. PCA's need to to working in there scope and follow direction of RN and they are not allowed to make any diagnoses.
Hi... I am new here... I am still in the process of acquiring a license in queensland but my agent said most probably I will be working in an aged care facility.
Would like to know if the benefits and compensation in an aged care facility for RNs are similar and comparable to hospital RNs.
Specializes in Recovery Room (PACU), Surgical, ICU/CCU.
Dolcevitarn, The pay is quite different in the hospital compared to in aged care facilities. Hospitals generally pay more, by about $1-$2 more, which mounts up to quite a bit after a while.
We also have a few beds that are public aid which is paid for 100% by the state. These residents have to had exhausted all their money, assets, etc. and can only have $1,000. We do philanthropy, a lot of fund raising for donations that comes from private people, local businesses, etc.
MicStar
29 Posts
So how is everyone going? I just attended a national australian conference for the Aged & Community Services (national peak body for non-profit aged care organisations in australia). They held this conference for 3 days starting 29/9...The best session was on the second day I felt, and that was the panel of 2 government officals and 2 stake holders discussing ACFI (our funding instrument recently released by the federal government). The ACFI has 12 questions in total that is used as an audit tool to 'rate' a resident in 3 different areas; the 12 questions are divided amounst these 3 headings 1. ADLs 2. Behaviours 3 Complex Health Care...I think there is 63 different possible funding possibilities with this funding instrument....how are you funded in the US?
Did anyone attend the conference I mentioned in Adelaide earlier this week, if so what did you like the best? Unfortunately I didnt network very much because I was with 2 other work collegues
miss oppurtunity!!
cheers!!
MICSTAR