Following the Four Corners program in January, the Government has moved to significantly strengthen protocols that apply to the use of physical and chemical restraints in aged care facilities to make them a “last resort”.
Minister for Seniors Australians and Aged Care, Ken Wyatt (pictured), aims to amend the Quality of Care Principles 2014, requiring providers to satisfy several conditions before restraint can be used – including assessment by an approved health practitioner for physical restraint, or assessment by a medical practitioner who has prescribed the medication for chemical restraint.
An aged care facility will also require the informed consent of the consumer or their representative before using physical restraint, apart from in an emergency.
The new Quality Standards will be in full force from 1 July 2019.
