The Federal Government has launched its new Quality Standards for Aged Care, the first upgrade to residential aged care standards in 20 years.
The new standards will apply to all residential aged care, home care, flexible care, and Commonwealth Home Support Programme services starting from 1 July 2019.
But the Vice President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda, said he is concerned the new standards may lead to a “culture of compliance rather than commitment”.
“It would be more appropriate to create a framework that is more balanced between the three elements of improvement, ie quality assurance, quality improvement and innovation,” he said.
He said the GPs play an important role in aged care, and yet they face “significant barriers” working in the sector.
“GPs face significant barriers in the provision of care to residents in Residential Aged Care Facilities, including inadequate support, clinical complexity, time pressures, workforce issues and lack of infrastructure and support structures,” he said.
Associate Professor Shenouda also said that adequate resourcing and funding is also critical.
He said what is needed is “support for an integrated, general practice-led, multi-disciplinary approach, allowing for adequate numbers of adequately trained nursing staff and allied health practitioners that focus on residents’ and carers’ needs.”
Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt, said, “The Government is steadfast in its commitment to improve the quality of aged care provided to our senior Australians.
“The implementation of the new Standards is a key element of transforming this commitment into a reality,” he said.
The Government will provide $50 million to help aged care operators transition to the new framework.
The new standards have been developed with the aim of placing the consumer at the centre of the aged care quality framework.
“The new Standards place consumers at the centre of their care and focus on giving people greater choice and flexibility,” said Minister Wyatt.
“The new Standards protect the right for consumers to be treated with dignity and respect, and maintain their identity. They support consumers to make informed choices about their care and services, and to live the life they choose.”
The new standards will replace the previous standards, and will focus on eight aspects of aged care:
Aged care operators must provide the following under the new standards:
Has your home started preparing for the new standards?
I’m always amazed at how weird ideas get around and accepted. Residential aged care residents have always been the main focus, it is our only job… to deliver quality care through the frail years of their lives.
The new standards are very similar to the old purely out of necessity but portrayed a bit differently. There is an idea that sub standard care is the norm, the same people think that the standard and regulations are not adhered to and that the quality agency needs more power. That is absolutely not the case, but what is true is that the most qualified staff in every facility is so consumed by documentation demanded by the Dept of Health and the quality agencies that they struggle to do the job they want to do.
As is the case with ACFI, like all equipment it operated perfectly well right up to the point when Scott Morrison started to hit into it with a big axe.
Hit any good tool and it will play up, take the petrol out of the motor and things fail. The government has orchestrated the current situation, starved residential aged care facilities to and beyond breaking point and they are deliberately dragging their feet because it’s good for them financially. The NDIS system is outrageously expensive as is Home care and already customer dissatisfaction is high.
All the media negativity has damaged RACS and places are suffering vacancies through customer fear compounding the damage done with funding cuts.