Aged care providers say that compulsory reporting of all ‘serious incidents’ in aged care homes will create too much paperwork, and should not be introduced.
Aged care provider Anglicare told the federal parliamentary inquiry into aged care that when caring for senior citizens, society must ‘tolerate some faiture’, The Courier Mail has reported.
Anglicare said introducing compulsory reporting of all deaths, falls, and assaults may encourage aged care providers to use excessive force, such as tying residents down, to prevent incidents from arising.
Aged care provider HammondCare told the enquiry that compulsory reporting would create more paperwork, which would mean staff were less available to care for residents.
Uniting Care, which operates aged care homes, said making data on aged care home incidents public could make carers reluctant to discuss matters that arise, The Courier Mail reported.
Both the federal government’s review of aged care reform and the Australian Law Reform Commission have recommended that mandatory reporting of ‘serious incidents’ be introduced for aged care facilities.
Last year, aged care homes notified the police and the Health Department of 2,853 alleged assaults against elderly residents.
The current rules specify that aged care homes must report assaults within 24 hours, unless the alleged perpetrator has ‘mental impairments’, such as dementia.
Earlier in the week, Federal Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt said aged care homes must be more transparent, and aged-care directors and managers must be held accountable for elder abuse.
Notifications
I cannot believe that 3 major providers of Aged Care could possibly want to hide incidents of Abuse and would have any issue with all providers notifying the ‘watch dog’ of our industry. My first thought is ‘What are you hiding?” Documentation should be streamline within their organisations such that the declaration and provision of documents should require no more than the flick of a switch! Their documentation review should take place each time a significant incident occurs as a mater of quality care?