A failure to communicate lies behind revelations of deaths in an aged-care home, write Gary Hughes and Stephen Lunn.

We are pleased to announce that the Indicator Graphs have received a significant upgrade and after extensive testing are now available for members to access. The enhancements will enable members to drill down into your indicator data to see incident rates for any element of the clinical indicators.

The ACQA Management Committee currently has a casual vacancy due to the resignation of Jenni Phelps from the committee.

UPDATE (246/4/07)

The management committee of ACQA are pleased to announce the casual vacancy as posted 25th March 2007 has been filled by Judith Pymer. Judith has also agreed to undertake the role of Secretary of ACQA. Judith brings to ACQA a wealth of experience from within both the aged and acute sectors. She currently holds the position of Residential Services Manager within the Wimmera Health Care Group, and is based at Horsham Victoria. Judith is also an Aged Care Quality Assessor, and has qualifications in Social Gerontology.

People are being priced out of aged care as nursing homes charge for services once considered standard.

AGED care providers say they will be worse off under a planned overhaul of the sector, despite the Government committing an extra $1.5 billion in funding.

A Liberal backbencher says the Federal Government should consider paying for dental checks for people in aged care facilities.

FEAR of political attack had prevented the Howard Government meeting the "blind, bloody obvious" need for wider use of accommodation bonds in aged care, economist Warren Hogan said yesterday.

AGED care agencies are reporting increased levels of complaints about lack of quality care and staff levels in nursing homes.

A bill to make the reporting of abuse of elderly nursing home residents compulsory has been introduced into federal parliament.

MANY new residents in high-care nursing homes will pay an average of $635 more a year from next year as part of a $1.5 billion Federal Government revamp to relieve strain on aged-care services.