In 2017-18, the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA) made no unannounced visits outside business hours while only 10 began on a weekend or public holiday, according to a report in The Australian.
Unannounced visits for facilities were introduced on 1 July 2018 after being recommended in Kate Carnell and Dr Ron Paterson’s report on the Review of Aged Care Quality Regulatory Processes released in October 2017.
In the five months to the end of November 2018, there were no after-hours visits and none on weekends or public holidays by the AACQA, which was replaced by the new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1 January 2019.
As we covered here, AACQA CEO Nick Ryan told a Senate Estimates Committee in November that most unannounced visits occur during office hours, but after-hours unannounced visits are conducted if there is a level three referral from the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner about a major area of concern.
We find it hard to believe there were no referrals which raised that level of concern for five months.
