How participants are selected
During the scheduled visit, the survey team will approach randomly selected residents and invite them to participate in the survey.
The survey team will explain the process and ask for consent to participate.
This is completely voluntary – you can say no if you don’t want to take part.
How the survey works
If you agree to participate, the survey will be done in private where the conversation cannot be overheard.
You can have someone you trust – such as a family member or friend – with you while answering the survey.
The survey takes about 10 to 30 minutes to complete.
You can stop the survey and withdraw at any time. If you withdraw, the survey team will stop asking questions, and your answers will be deleted.
The survey questions
Each participant is asked the following 14 questions:
- Do staff treat you with respect?
- Do you feel safe here?
- Is this place well run?
- Do you get the care you need?
- Do staff know what they are doing?
- Are you encouraged to do as much as possible for yourself?
- Do staff explain things to you?
- Do you like the food here?
- Do staff follow up when you raise things with them?
- Are staff kind and caring?
- Do you have a say in your daily activities?
- How likely are you to recommend this residential aged care home to someone?
- What would you say is the best thing about this service?
- What is one thing you would suggest as an improvement at this service?
Participant privacy
We do not share your identity or survey responses with your residential aged care home. This information is strictly confidential and securely stored. Read more in the participant privacy notice.
We combine and summarise responses for each residential aged care home, then publish them as part of each residential aged care home’s Star Ratings, without any identifying information.
Supporting your participation
Representatives
The survey aims to gather feedback directly from the residents. But in some cases, a resident might be unable to speak for themselves or prefer a trusted representative to speak on their behalf. In these cases, the survey can be completed by a resident’s representative on their behalf.
The survey team will only approach formally appointed representatives registered with My Aged Care to answer the survey on a resident’s behalf.
People with cognitive impairment
The survey is designed to enable older people with cognitive impairment to participate.
The survey team is trained to work with people with cognitive impairment and to determine whether a resident can meaningfully engage in the survey.
The team supports people with cognitive impairment with strategies like:
- using visual prompts such as infographics and images of smiley and frowning faces
- presenting the questions in writing.
If a resident is unable to participate, the survey team will approach their nominated representative to complete the survey on their behalf.
People from diverse backgrounds
The survey team is trained to engage with older people from diverse backgrounds.
Where needed, the team will engage language interpreters, and might contact a nominated representative to complete the survey on a resident’s behalf.
Learn more
For more information, see our Residents’ Experience Survey resources.