Responsibilities of residential aged care providers

Aged care provider responsibilities

All approved providers must understand and carry out their responsibilities as an aged care provider. These are set out in law.

They include things like:

• meeting quality standards
• using funds properly
• publishing accommodation prices
• seeking approval from the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority if your room price is above $550,000.

Services you can provide

Residential aged care homes provide a set of services to residents. Providers can also charge for some additional services, if the resident agrees to them.

Care and Services in Aged Care Homes – Information for Approved Providers is a guide for providing residential care services, including:

• the care and services you cannot charge an additional service fee for
• the care and services you can charge an additional service fee for
• services for veterans and war widows and widowers
• other information for residential aged care providers.

Responsibilities to residents

For each person in your care, you must:

• create an aged care entry record form
• discuss fees and charges with the resident
• complete a resident agreement, an accommodation agreement and extra services agreement, if needed
• have ongoing care discussions.

It is your responsibility to help residents understand the fees and charges they will pay in your service. To help with this, we recommend you provide them with a copy of the relevant fact sheet below.

Responsibilities to staff

Human resources is a quality standard.

Your workforce must be skilled and qualified to provide safe, respectful and quality care and services.

Supporting staff so they can provide quality care is part of your duties as an approved provider. This includes:

• training and development
• access to vaccinations.

Reporting requirements

All approved providers must:

• meet compulsory reporting requirements – such as annual reporting to the Government
• notify the Government about some changes – such as advising Services Australia when a person enters your service
• collect and provide quality indicator data under the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program.

Mandatory flu vaccination program

Annual vaccination is the most effective way to reduce the impact of the flu in the community, especially in aged care homes. 

To help prevent and stop the spread of flu in aged care, you must have processes in place. This is a requirement to comply with the Aged Care Quality Standards. 

What you need to do

Your service must take precautions to prevent and control the flu and minimise infection-related risks. That includes: 

• identifying and complying with all relevant Commonwealth and state or territory legislation and regulatory requirements 
• having an effective infection prevention and control program that is in line with national guidelines 
• offering free flu vaccinations every year to your staff and volunteers, and keeping records of their vaccinations.

You must also demonstrate: 

• how you have promoted and informed your staff and volunteers about the benefits of vaccination 
• the steps you have taken to encourage staff and volunteers to get vaccinated.

For more information, refer to the Quality of Care Principles 2014 and the Records Principles 2014. 

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission assesses compliance with the flu vaccination program. 

The Commission will consider whether to take any regulatory action if you fail to meet these requirements. 

Supported resident ratios

Residential aged care services need to meet the supported resident ratio of the region they are located in.

The following residents count towards the supported resident ratio:

• assisted residents
• concessional residents
• low-means care recipients
• supported residents

The ratio does not apply to services or distinct parts of services with extra service status.

Sanctions may apply to services that do not meet their regional ratio.