Consumer the focus of provider performance assessment
Aged Care Providers could expect disclosure of performance issues in addition to expanding review audits and unannounced site visits and are among several new proposed methods of assessing provider performance against common standards for all government-subsidised aged care services.
The new streamlined approach aims to better target assessment activities including how often they happen and what they cover, be risk-based and reflect best practice regulation to protect consumers.
This is extremely important in a new de-regulated consumer directed care industry with an increased number of small, private providers offering new types of services for clients, such as Country Mile Home Care does. We are proud to be an Approved Provider under the Department of Health and would advocate for all providers to achieve this as a minimum standard.
As reported by AAA, changes to how providers would be assessed and monitored including different levels depending on an organisation’s history of compliance and nature of services was flagged by the Department of Health in October 2016.
The government is set to introduce a new single quality framework from July 2018 that features a single set of standards for all aged care services replacing the four sets currently covering residential care, home care, transition care and Aboriginal flexible aged care.
The key changes are the single set of standards and wider range of methods for assessing performance plus capacity for the quality agency to recognise compliance with similar standards, greater consumer involvement and information for clients about assessment outcomes
They are:
- consumer dignity, autonomy and choice
- ongoing assessment and planning with consumers
- delivering personal care and clinical care
- delivering lifestyle services and supports
- service environment
- feedback and complaints
- human resources
- organisational governance
The government’s proposal highlights that the standards have been designed to operate together, and should be read together, but that some standards would only apply where the organisation is providing those particular types of care and services.