The aged care workforce is a key part of making aged care safe and respectful.
The new Aged Care Act introduces laws to make sure workers deliver the safe, high quality, rights-based care you deserve.
The Statement of Rights gives you the right to make your own decisions about your own life and be supported to make those decisions.
You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
This is your right, and providers must understand this.
It is also your right to be cared for by workers with the right skills and training to deliver safe, quality, and fair funded aged care services.
We have strengthened the Aged Care Quality Standards, so you can expect workers to listen to you, understand you, and treat you with respect.
The new act also includes a Statement of Principles.
Under the Statement of Principles, the aged care system will support workers to be innovative, continuously improve, and deliver high quality care.
For example, workers are encouraged to provide suggestions and feedback to their employer about the quality of care your provider delivers.
Workers must undergo a screening process to make sure they are suitable to work in aged care.
The worker screening process examines a worker's criminal history.
This is a safety measure to prevent unsuitable workers from providing your care, whether you are receiving services in the community, in a residential aged care home, or your own home.
We're also working on how we can strengthen and improve screening in the future.
The Code of Conduct for Aged Care sets the standards for how workers must behave while caring for you.
The code supports your personal choice, maintains your dignity, and ensures you are treated with respect; promotes kind, honest, and respectful behaviour; and keeps you safe from harm.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission works with providers to make sure all workers comply with the code.
You are encouraged to share your feedback if your rights are not being upheld.
If you have a complaint about a worker providing your care, you can speak to your provider or talk to an advocate from the Older Persons Advocacy Network, OPAN.
You can also make a complaint to the Complaints Commissioner in the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
You can make a complaint online, by phone, or by letter.
The Commission's website has more information about how to make a complaint.
There are some big changes happening in aged care in Australia.
To learn more about what the new Aged Care Act means for you, visit MyAgedCare.gov.au.