What you need to know about aged care standards in Australia

When you or a family member move into an aged care home it can be a challenging transition. One thing that can ease your mind is the fact that there are standards to ensure all residents are treated with respect and dignity.

Aged Care Quality Standards outline what aged care and in-home care should look like and all government-funded aged care providers should comply with these standards.

Who sets and monitors the Australian Aged Care Standards?

The Australian Aged Care Standards were set by the Australian Government, in consultation with the aged care sector. Accreditation is an internationally recognised evaluation process. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the body responsible for assessing and monitoring aged care organisations against the quality standards.

The eight aged care quality standards in Australia are:

• Consumer dignity and choice

What this means for you
I am treated with dignity and respect, and can maintain my identity. I can make informed choices about my care and services, and live the life I choose.

• Ongoing assessment and planning

What this means for you
I am a partner in ongoing assessment and planning that helps me get the care and services I need for my health and wellbeing.

• Personal care and clinical care

What this means for you
I get personal care, clinical care, or both personal care and clinical care, that is safe and right for me.

• Services and support for daily living

What this means for you
I get the services and support for daily living that are important for my health and well-being and that enable me to do things I want to do.

• Organisation’s service environment

What this means for you
I feel I belong and I am safe and comfortable in the organisation’s service environment.

• Feedback and complaints

What this means for you
I feel safe and am encouraged and supported to give feedback and make complaints. I am engaged in processes to address my feedback and complaints, and appropriate action is taken.

• Human resources

What this means for you
I get quality care and services when I need them from people who are knowledgeable, capable and caring.

• Organisational governance

What this means for you
I am confident the organisation is well run. I am a partner in improving the delivery of care and services.

Are you looking for a home and want to know how it performs?

You can find out if a home meets the eight aged care standards by using the find a provider tool on the My Aged Care website. Search for the home you’re interested in and find out how it meets the quality standards.

Homes are measured using four bars. If a residential aged care home meets all requirements within a standard they will have four bars, three bars if they meet most requirements, two bars if they meet some requirements, one if they meet a few and none if they have not been assessed.

What happens if a home doesn’t comply with these standards?

If a home doesn’t meet the quality standards the Commission will determine if the non-compliance poses a serious risk to health, wellbeing or safety.

The provider will receive notification and a timetable for improvement. They will then be assessed to see if they meet the standard, if they don’t a number of sanctions and other measures may be imposed.

Access the standards anywhere and anytime

We know it might not be easy to remember each of the eight aged care standards, but here’s some good news. You can download the Aged Care Quality Standards app so you have them on your phone or table to access anytime.

How HillView Care performs

At HillView Care we pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence in care. We meet all requirements for each of the eight Australian Aged Care Quality Standards.

We are a team of passionate and dedicated professionals who put our residents’ needs first. We support the dignity of each individual and value their independence – going above and beyond to make our residents feel safe and comfortable.

For more information on the aged care standards take a look at this Aged Care Quality Standards educational video. To find out more about HillView Homes, contact us today and we’ll show you how our care communities stand out from the crowd.