The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport Inquiry into the Quality of Care in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Australia has tabled its final report after being announced last December – with no new recommendations.
They include:
- At least one registered nurse on duty, 24 hours a day;
- “Restrictive practices” to restrain residents used only as a last resort;
- Assaults by residents with mental impairments to no longer be exempt from mandatory reporting requirements;
- Reviewing the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) to ensure it provides adequate funding, and indexing ACFI annually; and
- Reviewing the Medicare Benefits Schedule for GP visits to aged care facilities.
All previously raised measures – and all ones that will put pressure on the industry to provide affordable and viable services.
An issue the Royal Commission will need to address.
