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Commissioner Letter to Aged Care Consumers

Written by Joanne Isaac, Senior Manager (Communications and Campaigns) with integratedliving

A letter from Commissioner Anderson PSM:


Dear aged care consumer

I am writing to tell you about important changes that will improve the safety and quality of aged care. You do not need to take any action in response to this letter.

The Australian Government is concentrating on addressing key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Some changes start on 1 December 2022. Aged care services will have to meet new requirements from that date. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) will have more powers to make sure that aged care providers meet their responsibilities.

The changes that start on 1 December include:

  • Improving the way aged care services are run through stronger governance requirements. This includes residential aged care services asking consumers whether they would like to have a Consumer Advisory Committee to give people who use the services a say in how they are run.
      
  • A new Code of Conduct that describes how the people in charge of aged care services, and their aged care workers, must treat people receiving care. The Commission will have powers to take action where a provider or staff member breaches the Code.
      
  • A Serious Incident Response Scheme applying to aged care provided in the home or the community. All providers will need to show that they have a systematic approach to minimising the risk of things going wrong and can respond quickly and effectively if something does go wrong that affects a consumer. Home care providers will now also have to report serious incidents to the Commission and take action to make sure they don’t happen again. (Residential aged care providers are already required to do this.)

There will be more changes during 2023, including improved Aged Care Quality Standards.

The Commission will work with aged care providers to make sure the changes are made smoothly. Your service provider should keep you updated about what they are doing.

You do not need to do anything in response to this letter. We will provide more detailed information for people who receive care and their families closer to 1 December. If you would like to stay in touch with us, you can visit our website and subscribe to the monthly Aged Care Quality Bulletin.

I hope this letter has boosted your confidence that your aged care provider, and the Commission, are working hard to ensure that you will have the best possible experience of aged care.

Yours sincerely,

Janet Anderson PSM 

Commissioner 

31 August 2022 

 

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