Quality of Care

Quality Residential Aged Care

Brochure - Quality Residential Aged Care. This brochure provides information on the standards of accommodation and care that residential aged care facilities must provide.

You may download the Quality Residential Aged Care Brochure in PDF format:

PDF printable version of Quality Residential Aged Care (PDF 95 KB)

Providing quality care for people in aged care homes

The accreditation system commenced on 1 January 2001 and is designed to ensure frail older Australians receive quality care and accommodation. The system is supported by monitoring and spot checks to ensure that homes continue to meet care standards.

Accreditation is complemented by certification, which focuses on assessing ongoing improvements in the quality of accommodation.

Improving Care Standards

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is the evaluation process which aged care homes must undergo to continue receiving residential care subsidies from the Australian Government. It is the formal recognition provided to a home by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (the Agency) that the home measures up to the standards for quality of care set out in detail in the Quality of Care Principles 1997.

Accreditation is a process of continuous improvement. Homes that are accredited will continue to be monitored and may be subject to spot checks to ensure the quality of care and services continues to improve.

What are the Accreditation Standards?

Homes are assessed against the four Accreditation Standards:

• Standard 1: Management Systems, Staffing and Organisational Development
• Standard 2: Health and Personal Care
• Standard 3: Resident Lifestyle
• Standard 4: Physical Environment and Safe Systems

Each standard is divided into a number of Expected Outcomes. There are 44 Expected Outcomes across the four Accreditation Standards.

Other information that may also be considered in the evaluation process including whether the home meets other responsibilities under the Aged Care Act 1997.

Who assesses the quality of aged care homes?

An independent Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency is responsible for making sure that each aged care home is assessed against the Accreditation Standards. As part of this process residents and relatives are interviewed about their experiences of care and services in the home.
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How long is an aged care home granted accreditation?

Existing aged care homes may be awarded up to three years accreditation. Homes demonstrating exceptional standards may be awarded up to four years accreditation. Accreditation is not awarded to poorly performing homes. Commencing (new) aged care homes are awarded a maximum of one-year accreditation.

How can I find out if my home meets the required standards of care?

The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency ensures that information on how an aged care home is rated against the Expected Outcomes is made available to the public and is published on the Agency's website, www.accreditation.org.au. You will be able to ask your aged care home how they were rated, look up the report on the website, or contact the Agency for accreditation information.

Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency:

New South Wales / ACT (02) 9633 2099
Victoria and Tasmania (03) 9897 432
Queensland (07) 3852 3100
Western Australia (08) 9201 1344
South Australia / Northern Territory   (08) 8217 6000
or website:    http://www.accreditation.org.au/

How can I use accreditation information?

The information will help you to understand the things your home does well and the areas where improvements may be needed.

What happens once an aged care home is accredited?

The aged care home is required to submit a plan for continuous improvement to the Agency. The Agency maintains regular contact with the home to ensure the plan is being implemented and the standards continue to be met. Aged care homes need to re-apply for another period of accreditation before the current one expires.

What if an aged care home fails to maintain the standards?

In the event that an aged care home fails to meet a standard, compliance action can be taken which requiries the home to improve its care and services until the appropriate standard is achieved. If an aged care home does not continue to meet the standards, the Agency can reduce the period of accreditation or revoke its accreditation status. Only those homes that are accredited are eligible for Government funding.

What are specified care and services?

There are basic services that residential aged care homes must provide to residents at no additional cost. These are called specified care and services and include accommodation, food, care and lifestyle services. There are two categories of specified care and services which include those services to be provided to all residents and those to be provided to residents receiving high level care.
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Requirements for qualified staff

Are there standards for staff working in aged care homes?

Yes. Approved providers (companies that operate homes) should ensure staff have appropriate qualifications and are suitable to care for older Australians. Aged care homes are required to maintain an adequate number of staff with an appropriate mix of skills and qualifications to ensure that people receive the personal and nursing care that they need.

Aged care homes must also have staff training and development plans in place to ensure that staff skills are up-to-date and that staff are learning new skills. There are also rules that all homes must follow in relation to key personnel.

What sort of personal care can I expect to receive?

Personal care services are available to all residents who need them at no extra charge. The personal assistance services include help with bathing, toileting, eating and dressing, as well as mobility and communication.

How can I be sure that the staff can take care of my special needs?

Aged care homes must make sure that your specialised nursing care needs are identified and met by appropriately qualified nursing staff. Qualified nurses include people who are enrolled or registered by a nurses' registration board in a State or Territory and authorised under State and/or Territory legislation to perform the range of duties for which they have been trained.

Resolving Problems and Complaints

What rights do I have as a resident?

Your personal, civil, legal and consumer rights as a resident are the same as those of any other Australian.

A Charter of Residents' Rights and Responsibilities has been developed by the Government to protect your rights.

These rights are further protected by:

• resident agreements (contracts);
• an Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme; and
• support from advocacy services.

If there is something that I don't like, what can I do?

Every aged care home is required to have an internal system in place to deal with comments and complaints. Using a home's internal complaints system will generally be the best way to solve most problems. Most homes also have committees of residents, families and friends who can help to identify and resolve problems.

What if my problem is still not resolved?

If a problem cannot be solved using a home's internal complaints system, the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme (the Scheme) is available to assist people to make complaints and to find solutions. Run by the Department of Health and Ageing, the Scheme provides a free and accessible complaint system.

Who can complain and what can they complain about?

You can make a complaint to the Scheme about anything that may be a breach of an approved provider's responsibilities under the Aged Care legislation and that affects a person who is, or was, receiving or eligible to receive Australian Government funded aged care services. If you are unsure about any aspects of the Scheme and how it operates you can discuss this with a Complaints Officer in the first instance.

Complaints can be made by telephone or in writing and you can request that your complaint be kept confidential or anonymous. Contact with the Scheme can be made either by telephoning 1800 550 552 or by writing to the Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme, GPO Box 9848 in your capital city.

If I am not happy with the Scheme's handling of my complaint, what can I do?

An independent Aged Care Commission has powers to examine complaints about decisions of the Scheme or the Departments' handling of cases. As a first step, you are encouraged to take your concerns to the manager responsible for the Scheme in your state or territory. You can contact the manager by telephoning 1800 550 552.

If you prefer, or if you feel that the issue has not been resolved, you may wish to contact the Aged Care Commissioner by telephoning 1800 500 294.

What if I need help to understand my rights or make a complaint?

Advocacy services help people to understand their rights and assist residents and their families or representatives who think that their rights are not being respected. Advocacy services will also help people who want someone to speak to a service manager or care provider on their behalf. There is an advocacy service in each State and Territory that can be contacted by phone on 1800 700 600.

Where can I get further information?

Aged Care Information Line: 1800 500 853.

The Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme: 1800 550 552

Aged Care Commissioner: 1800 500 294

National Advocacy Line: 1800 700 600
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