Publications
Completion of the 2011 Census for residents of aged care homes
To Approved Providers
In order to complete the Census forms, Approved Providers will be required to disclose some personal information relating to care recipients in aged care homes.
There may be some concern that providing such information could be in conflict with an Approved Provider’s responsibilities in relation to the protection of personal information under section 62-1 of the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act). However, section 62-2 of the Act allows personal information to be disclosed to authorities or persons with the power to require the production of documents or the answering of questions.
The Department is satisfied that the Australian Bureau of Statistic’s request that Approved Providers complete the Census form for residents of aged care homes who are not able to complete the form themselves comes within the exception in section 62-2. Therefore, the Department’s view is that compliance with this request would not be a breach of your Approved Provider responsibilities under the Act in relation to the protection of personal information.
You are also reminded that each resident has the right to full and effective use of his or her personal, civil, legal and consumer rights. This means you have the responsibility to assist residents who have the capacity to complete the Census form themselves to exercise their right to do so.
The 2011 Census will be an important source of data for planning by the Department and other agencies that provide aged care services. The data collected will help identify areas of need now and in the future. It will also help us to understand how our population is ageing and where older people live. Additionally, it can provide information about population mobility and identify those areas to which older people are re-locating.
I hope that you will give every possible assistance to Census collectors to ensure that census counts are as accurate as possible. Well informed planning will allow us to better target aged care services to those Australians who need them.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact David Laffan on (02) 6289 7319 or email David Laffan.
Iain Scott
First Assistant Secretary
Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance
