The new Aged Care Quality Standards come into effect on July 1, but what do they mean for current and future home care clients?
The new Aged Care Quality Standards aim to outline what ‘good care’ should look like and represents a furthering of the consumer directed care approach – putting home care consumers in the driver’s seat of their care regardless of who their provider is and where their care is delivered. The new standards cover care delivered through home care, in residential aged care and aged care community settings.
What is the purpose of the changes?
The primary purpose of the changes is to introduce a single set of standards, replacing the current Home Care Standards, Accreditation Standards, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program Quality Framework Standards and Transition Care Standards.
The new standards aim to simplify what the consumer can expect from their care provider, with a greater focus on outcomes for consumers rather than provider processes.
What do the new Aged Care Quality Standards cover?
The new Aged Care Quality Standards are made up of eight standards, each covering a different aspect of care, safety, health and wellbeing.
The eight standards are:
1. Consumer dignity and choice
2. Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers
3. Personal care and clinical care
4. Services and supports for daily living
5. Organisation’s service environment
6. Feedback and complaints
7. Human resources
8. Organisational governance
As demonstrated in the above infographic, consumer dignity and choice are at the heart of the new standards – giving everyone the right to choose how they wish their care to be delivered, regardless of the setting of that care. The standards reinforce the idea that everyone has the right to be treated as an individual who is able to make their own choices about what’s important to them when it comes to their care.
The new standards also highlight the right of care consumers to raise concerns if they feel their care needs are not being met. People are encouraged to share these concerns directly with their provider, however, if they are uncomfortable doing so they’re able to contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
The new standards in action
The new standards will have wide-ranging effects on how care is delivered. Those providers who already deliver truly consumer directed care will be ahead of the curve with delivering care in line with the new standards. Whereas more traditional aged care providers will need to change their approach to be more consumer-centric as the quality of care they deliver will be judged on how well they are meeting individual needs rather than their care processes as a whole.
More information on the new standards in this video:
For more information on the New Aged Care Standards, visit the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website.