The new Aged Care Act puts you at the centre of your aged care.
It will make aged care safer, fairer and more respectful.
Under the new Act, your rights matter and your decisions will not just be accepted, but respected.
The Statement of Rights means you have the right to make decisions about your life.
It means people providing your care will respect who you are and also value and support
your identity, culture, spirituality and diversity.
It allows you to communicate your wishes and get information about your care.
Providers must respect your culture and communicate in your preferred language.
This might mean using interpreters or other aids to help you communicate your wishes.
You also have the right to stay connected to your community.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this includes the right to stay connected to Country or Island home.
You have the right to make decisions about your life, including the aged care support and services you receive.
If you want, a registered supporter can help you with this.
Registered supporters can be people you trust, like a family member or a friend.
They can help you make your own decisions about your care, communicate the decisions you make and receive copies of your information so they can help you make your decisions.
You can still ask people you trust for help, they don't have to be registered.
But by registering them through My Aged Care, you'll be making it clear who you want to help you.
Having supporters does not stop you from doing something yourself, because you're in control of your care.
Under the strengthened Quality Standards, you'll be involved in the decisions about who provides your care, including when, where and how you get it.
People looking after you must put your rights first.
They must listen to you, hear your concerns and answer your questions.
They also need to have the right skills and training.
You have the right to safe and quality care.
Residential aged care providers must report on critical areas of care that can affect your health, safety and wellbeing.
This helps providers improve the quality of care they give you and helps the government monitor the quality of your care.
This also contributes to the range of information you can access about services when making choices about the care you receive now, or that you might want down the track.
There is a new regulatory model for aged care providers.
These are rules and obligations they need to follow to protect your rights when delivering your aged care.
The new regulatory requirements support your right to receive quality and safe care, including being an active participant in decision-making about your care.
Aged care providers will be registered with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Their registration will be renewed every three years.
The Commission is responsible for assessing the quality of care and services being delivered by providers.
The Commission will also monitor providers to make sure they comply with the new rules.
So what can you do if you think your rights are not being respected?
Or if you are concerned about the quality of your care?
You have the right to speak up if you have an issue with your aged care services.
No issue is too small to raise.
It can be about something as simple as the quality of your meals, not being able to have a say in what daily activities you participate in or maybe an issue with someone who is providing your care.
If you give feedback or raise a concern with your provider, they must listen and respond quickly and fairly.
If they don't, you have the right to make a complaint without fear of punishment.
If you need help to make a complaint or find information, the Older Person's Advocacy Network can help.
You can make a complaint to the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner online, by phone or by letter.
For more information about your rights and how Australia's aged care system is being improved, visit MyAgedCare.gov.au.