How to assess quality aged care
Quality care is important for the emotional, physical and social needs of the older person in care.
This blog post seeks to demystify how quality is measured in aged care facilities. It outlines the safeguards the federal government has in place for all government funded aged care facilities.
The compulsory reporting and compliance requirements include:
Charter of Aged Care Rights.
This Charter outlines 14 rights that sets in place the rights of consumers with regards to how they are treated, cared for, and the care and services they are to expect. The Charter can be accessed here.
Quality Aged Care Standards.
These are a set of 8 standards that are related to a key aspect of care and governance and cover
- Consumer Dignity and Choice
- Ongoing Assessment and Planning with Consumers
- Personal Care and Clinical Care
- Services and Supports for Daily Living
- Service Environment
- Feedback and Complaints
- Human Resources
- Organisational Governance
The standards are part of the Aged Care Act.
Service providers are to required to provide evidence they adhere to the standards. Representatives of the government department, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission complete inspections on a 3 yearly basis and providers can be inspected unannounced at any time. As part of the inspection, auditors can view documents, speak to residents and chat with family members of their experience of the facility.
The results of the visits can be accessed on the Australian Governments ‘My Aged Care’ website under the ‘Find a Provider’ search function.
Quality Indicator Program
Providers also report on aspects of health and wellbeing of residents as part of the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program. This Quality Indicator program aims to help facilities carry out continuous improvement in care and collectively contribute to data that measures care outcomes across many aged care facilities.
Covid vaccination
As of June 2021, the government now requires aged care providers to report weekly on the number of staff who have received their Covid vaccination. The government will use this information to try to identify the potential level of risk each facility may face in the event of an outbreak and the support that may be required.
These reporting and compliance requirements are formal ways the government ensures providers are providing quality in aged care. Visiting a facility is another way of assessing quality and it can be beneficial as you can make observations. You see behaviours and actions between residents and staff as they usually occur. You can also observe the environment. What are the aromas? Pleasant or not so pleasant? Is the facility well maintained? How were you greeted? See our other blog post ‘How to choose a nursing home? for more hints and tips on choosing an aged care provider. Observations provide insights into the care and culture within an aged care facility.
Maroba Caring Communities has been caring for the elderly in the Hunter for over 66 years. We are proud to report that we have a 4 star compliance rating – the highest rating possible. Maroba is due for their unannounced 3 yearly inspection sometime in 2021. Our staff are highly experienced with a wealth of knowledge to share and are happy to answer any questions concerning the care and service we deliver.
Why not drop us a line by email or ring (02) 4935 0300 to be directed to the most appropriate person.
References
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/standards/guidance-introduction
- My Aged Care – Find a Provider https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider/
- Australian Government, Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission – Charter of Aged Care Rights. https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights
- Australian Government, Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission – Quality Standards https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/providers/standards
- Australian Government, Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission – National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program. https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/providers/national-aged-care-mandatory-quality-indicator-program
- Australian Government, My Aged Care – Quality in Aged Care. https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/quality-aged-care
- Australian Government, Department of Health – Delivering Quality Aged care services https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/aged-care/providing-aged-care-services/delivering-quality-aged-care-services
- Australian Government, Federal Register of Legislation, Quality of Care Principles 2014 https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019C00613/Html/Text#_Toc15561978
By Sarah Gamble, Communications Co-ordinator, Maroba Caring Communities.