Whether you receive Aged Care services in your home or in a residential service, one thing remains: you deserve the best possible quality Aged Care service in Australia. But then, how do you classify a quality Aged Care service? How do you know when an Aged Care provider has given you the best service possible?
To ensure that your care is up to standard, the Australian Government in consultation with Aged Care consumers, carers, Aged Care providers, and other stakeholders developed the 8 standards in Aged Care. All government-funded Aged Care providers are required to comply with the 8 Aged Care quality standards for the well-being of those under their service.
If you are already wondering what the 8 standards in Aged Care are, we will dive in right away to explain them and shed more light on how they benefit you.
The Aged Care Quality Standards:
The following 8 standards ensure that you receive high-quality care and services that meet your individual needs and preferences from providers. These standards apply to all Australian Government-subsidised Aged Care homes and are enforced by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. The 8 standards in Aged Care include
1. Consumer dignity and choice
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and that is what this standard is all about. Your personal choices and preferences are important, therefore are acknowledged and respected. This includes your right to make decisions about your own care and to have your privacy and dignity protected.
2. Ongoing assessment and planning
This standard is about making sure that your care is tailored to meet your individual needs and preferences. This includes ongoing communication with you and your family to ensure that your care plan is regularly reviewed and updated as needed.
3. Personal care and clinical care
You deserve high-quality personal and clinical care that meets your specific needs and this standard takes care of that. This ensures you receive things like medication management, wound care, and assistance with activities of daily living.
4. Services and supports for daily living
If there’s one thing you crave more and more of as you age, it is independence. This standard is about providing you with the services and supports you need to live your life as independently as possible. This includes things like assistance with meal preparation, transportation, social activities, and other things important for your health and well-being.
5. Organisation’s service environment
The Aged Care home should be a safe and comfortable place for you to live and this standard upholds that. This includes things like the cleanliness of the home, the quality of the food, and the accessibility of the facilities. All these should generally give you a sense of belonging and security in your Aged Care home.
6. Feedback and complaints
This standard gives you a voice in your care and ensures that your feedback and complaints are taken seriously. This includes having access to a complaints process and the ability to provide feedback about your care. Beyond that, it also ensures you are engaged in processes to address your feedback and complaints, and that appropriate action is taken.
7. Human resources
This standard is about ensuring that the staff who care for you are qualified, competent, well-trained, and caring. This includes things like staff training and ongoing professional development.
8. Organisational governance
You receive better care when the organisation is well run. This standard is about ensuring that the Aged Care provider has effective governance and management systems in place to provide you with high-quality care. This includes things like the management of finances, policies and procedures, and risk management.
Quality Standards performance for Aged Care homes
Now you know what are the 8 standards of Aged Care. But then, how do you measure an Aged Care home’s performance against the quality standards? Good question! Because this can help you choose a provider that delivers safe, high-quality Aged Care services.
Now, based on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s assessment, the performance of any Aged Care home against each quality standard is rated using four bars. If an Aged Care home meets all the requirements within a standard, it will have four bars in the rating. Also, you can check whether they are meeting compliance requirements in the Compliance section of their profile.
It is even easier now because the Australian Government in December 2022 introduced Star Ratings for Aged Care homes. If you understand what the 8 standards in Aged Care are, you can quickly understand and compare the quality of care provided at Aged Care homes using the Australian Government’s Star Ratings.
Aged Care homes receive a Star Rating between 1 and 5 stars for Compliance, Quality Measures, Residents’ Experience, and Staffing. The ratings for each subcategory make up the home’s overall Star Rating.
Where can I find an Aged Care home’s performance against the Quality Standards?
When you use the Find a provider tool to search for Aged Care homes, you can see their performance against the Quality Standards. Click on an Aged Care home in your search results, and go to the Quality section of their profile to see their rating. The more stars an Aged Care home receives, the better its performance across all four key areas.
This information can guide you with your shortlisting when choosing an Aged Care home. It also provides information on what to look for and consider when you visit an Aged Care service.
How are the Standards assessed?
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission assesses the performance of residential Aged Care services in Australia through accreditation.
Accreditation involves periodic full audits to assess compliance with the Quality Standards. In addition, the Commission monitors the quality of care and services and manages any non-compliance with the Quality Standards.
5 Major Reforms Coming to the Aged Care Industry in 2023
The world is ever-changing and it’s necessary to adjust to the changing needs and expectations, and to provide high-quality, person-centred care and support to older adults. The goal of reforms is to improve the quality of care and support provided to seniors even as the world keeps evolving.
Here are five major upcoming reforms to expect as the year goes on:
- Registered Nurses are required 24/7 on site, and on duty, at all times at the residential facility from 1 July 2023.
- The Government has committed to introducing mandatory 200 minutes of care time per resident per day (including 40 RN minutes) from October 2023.
- Revised Aged Care Quality Standards commencing sometime in 2023. This will potentially reduce the number of Standards from eight to seven,
- New requirements for Aged Care governance commencing 1 December 2023.
- Potential wage increase for Aged Care workers – this is not yet concluded but it is expected to provide wage increases between 15% to 25% for personal care workers, enrolled nurses, and registered nurses in the Aged Care sector.
What does this mean for you?
The 8 standards in Aged Care service and the expected reforms are all in place to make sure you receive quality Aged Care service from providers all over Australia. But you wouldn’t enjoy any of these without good physical and mental health.
At Easy Exercising, we provide exercise programs for seniors in Aged Care to help make your ageing process a more enjoyable experience.
Exercise plays a huge role in your well-being and quality of life, and we have power-assisted machines that will help you achieve your health goals with minimal effort. You will enjoy the support of a qualified practitioner who will monitor, assist and offer suggestions.
Every time you need it, we offer one-on-one support to make sure you’re on the right track. You won’t sweat, you won’t feel puffed & you won’t wake up sore the next morning. You will experience all the benefits that gentle exercise has to offer.
You can come and check out our machines for FREE to see if they are the perfect fit for you.
Sign Up for a Free Trial Session at Easy Exercising
Interested in trying out our power-assisted machines for yourself so you can regain the mobility you had in your prime? Want to learn more about our incredible clinics across Brisbane? Or just want to step into a welcoming, fun community that gives you a purpose, a place to be, and helps you feel supported every step of the way?
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"I had a very good hour doing Easy Exercising which isn’t hard on your joints. I think it’s good for any over fifties to try as they will find it so good for their different problems or just to have some general exercise. There is a qualified person supervising you on each machine & its a very sociable environment." - Margaret
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