The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is “urgently” reviewing the quality standards to make them more “relevant and appropriate” for older Australians.
As part of that review, the regulator is asking for feedback on how it can strengthen the Quality Standards; to find out more, you can follow this link. Consultation will occur over six weeks from 17 October 2022 until 25 November 2022.
The review is in response to the Royal Commission, which in its March 2021 final report recommended an “urgent” review of the Aged Care Quality Standards by 31 December 2022.
The current Aged Care Quality Standards were introduced only three years ago.
In other news from the regulator, the Quality Commission has announced new quality indicators will be introduced from 1 April 2023.
The new quality indicators will be included in the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program). They are:
- activities of daily living
- incontinence care
- hospitalisation
- workforce
- consumer experience, and
- quality of life.
In an information sheet, the Department said detailed guidance and resources will be available by 1 October 2022.
The regulator is recommending that residential aged care providers should record the new quality indicators as part of routine care before the mandatory collection date of 1 April 2023. Providers will be required to report the data to the Department by 21 July 2023.
Again, the introduction of the new quality indicators is in line with the Royal Commission, which recommended that by July 2023, the quality indicators for residential aged care should be expanded.
The regulator has also recommended five quality indicators for home care.