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Consumers need more information
Dementia body calls on federal government to enforce mandatory reporting requirements and credentialing.
Strengthening compliance processes and more information on the performance of residential aged care facilities are among changes that would improve the aged care sector, Dementia Australia says.
The organisation has made 15 such recommendations in its submission to the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport’ s inquiry into the quality of care in residential aged care facilities in Australia.
Submissions to the inquiry closed in February, and Dementia Australia has used the opportunity to call on the federal government to enforce mandatory reporting requirements and credentialing, and increase consumer access to information on accreditation and quality of service providers.
Other suggested improvements include increased customer consultation, nationally consistent training for staff in dementia care, and accessible information on practices used in residential care homes( for example, restraints or psychotropic medications).
Chief executive Maree McCabe said the Australian aged care system was generally considered in high regard, but reporting by those with dementia, their families and carers needed to continue so that the quality of care could continue to improve.
“ As the prevalence of dementia increases in our community, it is critical that all aged care services are well equipped and supported to provide safe, high-quality care for people living with dementia as part of their core business,” she said.
“ Health, aged care and disability service reforms over recent years have been increasingly based on the belief that supporting people impacted by dementia should be part of core business for service providers.
“ However, there is more to do before this can become a reality, with consumer and provider experience telling us that there are still significant steps that need to be taken for quality dementia care and support to become an intrinsic part of the aged care system.
“ We need a renewed and sustained focus on dementia right now for the hundreds and thousands of Australians impacted by this disease every day and to prepare for what we, as a community, will face in the future.” Dementia remains the second leading cause of death in Australia and the leading cause of death among women.
More than half of all people in residential aged care have a diagnosis of dementia.
McCabe said the cost of dementia to the Australian economy was significant and growing rapidly, with dementia expected to cost more than $ 15 billion in 2018 and $ 36.8 billion in 2056. ■
What the Oakden inquiry teaches us
More stringent accreditation practices needed to end toxic cultures in aged care facilities, COTA says.
COTA Australia has praised the Senate’ s interim report into South Australia’ s Oakden aged care facility, and says it highlights the urgent need to stamp out toxic cultures and systemic failures in the sector.
Chief executive Ian Yates said there was a need for more stringent accreditation practices and support for whistle-blowers to protect older Australians.
“ The interim Senate report highlights the‘ toxic culture of wilful negligence and cover-up’ within the centre, as well as the failure of regulatory authorities to pickup poor practices, fear of recrimination against families or staff if complaints were made, and the neglect of government agencies in acting on the concerns that were raised,” he said.
“ It’ s absolutely unacceptable that the catastrophic failures at Oakden would never have come to light without the persistence of the Oakden families in drawing attention to the situation; it’ s beyond appalling that it took the death of Bob Spriggs for that to happen.
“ Oakden had received accreditation despite a long history of incidents at the centre [ that ] demonstrated systemic failures that had to be urgently addressed.
“ Alarmingly, the committee said it cannot be confident that there are not other aged care facilities where abuse and neglect are occurring elsewhere in Australia.”
Yates said the Senate’ s draft report, together with review findings from
Kate Carnell, Ron Paterson and David Tune, showed regulations for Australia’ s aged care facilities still needed improvement.
“ The committee has done a good job in investigating what happened at Oakden and giving a voice to the families impacted by the neglect of their loved ones, not just at Oakden but across Australia,” Yates said.
“ In the past 12 months we have seen three separate inquiries into how to improve our whole aged care system. It’ s time for the federal government to really start acting on the recommendations of these inquiries, because as it stands older Australians are being let down, and in the case of Oakden, with tragic circumstances.
“ We welcome the Senate committee’ s decision to continue its inquiry beyond Oakden to the aged care system more broadly, while noting the need for coordination with a parallel House of Representatives inquiry.”
COTA Australia has now called for greater transparency around aged care accreditation and associated visits, more engagement with residents and families during the accreditation process, an improved complaints process, and a consumer-directed approach to residential care. ■
4 agedcareinsite. com. au