Single Aged Care Quality Framework - Options for assessing performance against aged care quality standards

Overview

The Australian Government is committed to the quality of care of older people and considers the health, safety and welfare of aged care recipients a high priority.  As part of reforms to the aged care system, the government is developing an end-to-end, market-based system with the sector, where competition and ultimately the consumer, drives quality.  This includes a Single Aged Care Quality Framework with:

• a single set of aged care standards for all aged care services
• a streamlined approach for assessing provider performance against quality standards
• improved information on quality to help consumers to make choices about the care and services they need.

Options for assessing service provider performance against the new standards

The Options Paper for assessing service provider performance against the draft aged care quality standards is attached below for feedback.  The Options Paper details three proposed options:

• Option 1: An assessment process based on aged care setting with different approaches used for residential settings and home/community settings (based on the status quo with improvements)
• Option 2: Introducing a single risk based assessment process that is applicable to all aged care settings
• Option 3: Use of a safety and quality declaration by organisations providing low risk services readily available to the broader population. (If supported this option can be combined with Option 1 or Option 2)

The Options Paper is attached below.  The paper includes specific options for your consideration.  Your feedback and comments will help us identify the preferred approach.

Note: consultation on a draft set of aged care quality standards is also open and the consultation paper can be accessed at:

 https://consultations.health.gov.au/aged-care-access-and-quality-acaq/single-quality-framework-draft-standards/

Why your views matter

We would like your input.

Lodging your submission in response to the Options Paper is your opportunity to contribute to, and directly influence, the reforms and the quality of aged care in Australia.

How to make a submission

1. Download and read the Options Paper (see below under ‘Related’). Please note that these documents are read-only.
2. Complete the Online Survey.
3. Click on ‘Submit’.

The Department will use any information collected in accordance with its APP Privacy Policy.

If any of your responses to the following questions contains personal information of a third party, you warrant that you have obtained the consent of that person to have their personal information disclosed to the Commonwealth for the purposes of this survey.

This consultation closes on Friday 21 April 2017.  Late submissions will not be accepted.

Contact

If you are having difficulty completing an online submission, please contact qualityagedcare@health.gov.au for assistance.

Other ways to have your say

The department is holding a webinar on Wednesday 29 March 2017 and regional forums in Geelong, Alice Springs and Townsville during the consultation period.

Information on the webinar and regional forums will be published on the department’s website shortly.

Visit the department’s website to subscribe to announcements and the eNewsletter to keep up to date with important messages affecting the aged care sector, including updates on the Single Aged Care Quality Framework.

What happens next

Your feedback and comments provided through this survey will help us to identify the preferred approach to assessing performance against aged care quality standards, as well as additional reforms that may be made in the future.

The preferred option will be presented to government for consideration. Subject to the agreement of the Australian Government and any necessary amendments being made to legislation, the new assessment process will take effect from 1 July 2018.