Aged Care Complaints Reinforce Need for Quality Standards

A quality indicator system for aged care in Australia that ensures the best outcomes for all consumers, including people with dementia, is yet to be realised.

The release of the Aged Care Complaint’s Commissioner’s first annual report highlights there is still more work to be done to ensure all consumers are informed and equipped to make the best choices about the various aspects of their care.

Alzheimer’s Australia National CEO Maree McCabe said more than 50% of residents living in Australian Government-subsidised aged care facilities have dementia, however a set of fully-independent, meaningful and measurable quality standards were yet to be developed that covered all aged care services.

“The introduction of an Aged Care Complaints Commissioner, Rae Lamb, in January this year was a welcome move, and we congratulate her on the work done to date. However the release of this most recent annual report shows scope to better deal with a wider-range of complaints is needed, not just those relating to Commonwealth subsidised residential or home-based aged care service," Ms McCabe said.

“We are yet to see a comprehensive, robust system in-place to fully address quality in aged care and given the majority of residents in care have dementia or a form of cognitive impairment we must ensure all residents have access to good-quality services and an appropriate avenue for determining if those standards are not being met.

“Quality standards and processes, remains a high-priority for people living with dementia and their carers and should underpin all aged care services.”

Alzheimer’s Australia provided a submission to the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency in October 2015 which acknowledged there were aspects of quality care which are essential and should never be compromised including:

• Person-centred care
• Informed choice by consumers
• Carer support
• Measures to prevent inappropriate use of restraint and;
• Appropriate end-of-life care

The submission also acknowledged adequate numbers of skilled, qualified staff, committed to providing person-centred care were needed in order to deliver quality care, aged care services.

Search for residential aged care in: