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Royal Commission scope announced
P
rime Minister Scott Morrison has
released the terms of reference for the
Royal Commission into Aged Care.
Among the directives are that it should
cover the challenges and opportunities for
providing accessible, affordable and high
quality aged care, and delivering care to
people living with dementia.
Morrison also named its commissioners.
He recommended the Governor General
appoint former judge of the Supreme
Court of Western Australia, honourable
justice Joseph McGrath, and ex-chief
executive of Medicare Lynelle Briggs.
The latter also served as Australian Public
Service Commissioner for five years.
“Both these individuals have had an
enormous volume of experience, an
exemplary record of Australian public
service throughout their careers, in their
respective fields,” Morrison told reporters.
The government received more than
5000 submissions after putting out a request
to hear from industry and the public.
Per its terms of reference, the aged care
royal commission will cover:
• Quality and safety, including the extent
of substandard care
• How to best deliver care services to
people with disabilities residing in aged
care facilities, including younger people
• How to best deliver care to the
increasing number of Australians living
with dementia
• The future challenges and opportunities
for delivering accessible, affordable and
high quality aged care services, including
people’s desire to remain living at home
Jump in complaints
A
ustralia’s current aged care complaints body has seen a
23 per cent increase in the number of issues raised.
The Aged Care Complaints Commissioner’s 2017–18
Annual Report was recently tabled in Parliament by Minister for
Senior Australians and Aged Care, Ken Wyatt.
Concerned Australians put forward a record 5,779 complaints.
And the Commissioner referred over 1,000 cases to the Australian
Aged Care Quality Agency – a rise of 130 per cent over the
previous year.
Wyatt partly put the figures down to an increase in awareness
about the Commissioner’s capacity, as well as growing concern
about aged care issues.
“While significantly more people are using the national
service, the data shows that most of their complaints are being
managed effectively, with 73 per cent resolved within 30 days and
93 per cent resolved within 90 days,” he added.
2
agedcareinsite.com.au
as they age, and aged care in rural,
regional and remote Australia
• What the Government, the aged care
sector, Australian families and the wider
community can do to strengthen care
services to ensure quality and safety
• How to allow people greater choice,
control and independence and how to
improve engagement with families and
carers, and
• How to best deliver sustainable aged
care services through innovative
care and investment in the aged care
workforce and infrastructure, as well as
• Any matters that the commissioners
believe is relevant to their inquiry.
To be based in Adelaide, the royal
commissioners will provide an interim
report by 31 October 2019 and a final
report by 30 April 2020.
When questioned by reporters, Morrison
clarified that more time will be given for the
interim report if needed.
Morrison reassured the industry that
while they go about their work, the
government will get on with its policing
and reform program. ■
The most common issues raised in complaints about
residential aged care were medication administration and
management (706) and personal and oral hygiene (473).
For the first time, staffing numbers and ratios made up one of
the top three issues in residential care complaints, with 452
issues raised.
Commissioner Rae Lamb said complaints to the body have
increased by around 47 per cent since 2015–16.
“We have seen particularly marked growth in the number of
people coming to us with complaints about care delivered in
their homes,” Lamb said. “These now account for around one in
four complaints.”
In her foreword, Lamb reinforced her recent push for aged
care providers to be more open about complaints and how they
respond to them.
She said the Commissioner is this year focused on getting that
message to the boards that govern aged care services.
“I have met with several of the boards of big aged care
service providers.
“So far at least one organisation has told us it is planning to
publish more complaints information on its website as a result of
the challenge. Others are still considering it.
“I hope that this will catch on and others will follow.”
In January next year, the Complaints Commissioner and the
Quality Agency will join to form part of the new Aged Care Quality
and Safety Commission.
Wyatt said he was confident the new body will better target
sub-standard care.
“Any concerns about quality of care will be managed by the
one agency, making it easier for everyone to know who they
can contact, and further enhancing the complaints policing and
resolution process,” he said. ■