news
Safety commissioner named
ACQSC appointment seen as a step towards
a new era for aged care in Australia.
T
he minister for aged care and senior Australians, Ken Wyatt,
has announced a Department of Health higher-up will head
the new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Janet Anderson will lead its establishment as it prepares to begin
operations from 1 January 2019.
Anderson will also oversee the approval, accreditation,
assessment, complaints resolution, monitoring and compliance
of Commonwealth-funded aged care providers. She will report
directly to Wyatt.
COTA Australia chief executive Ian Yates said Anderson’s
appointment is another step towards a new era for aged care
in Australia.
“Janet Anderson has an impressive resume and is well equipped
to lead the commission in tackling the complexities and specific
challenges riddling our aged care system and its effective
regulation,” Yates said.
For the past two years, Anderson worked as deputy chief
executive and acting chief executive of the Northern Territory
Department of Health. Before that she was first assistant secretary,
health services, in the Department of Health from 2012 to 2015,
and director of inter-government and funding strategies in the
NSW Department of Health from 2006 to 2011.
The government also appointed Associate Professor Michael
Murray to assist Anderson as interim chief clinical adviser. Murray
is president of the board of directors at the National Ageing
Research Institute.
Pegged by Wyatt as a one-stop shop, the new commission will
have a budget of almost $300 million over four years.
“Senior Australians and their families will know who to contact
when they need help with a complaint, a concern or when
something goes wrong,” he said.
“Providers will also benefit from being able to deal with one
regulatory agency, and know who to contact in relation to their
accreditation, quality monitoring and compliance requirements.”
ACSA chief Pat Sparrow said all parties with an interest in aged
care need the system to function with firm but fair regulation that
protects the principles of safety and quality of life.
“We absolutely need regulation that holds to account those who
abuse or neglect and identifies those instances of sub-standard
care in a timely and effective way,” Sparrow said. ■
D
Few Australians trust
aged care, report finds
The report highlights the negative sentiment that
providers need to overcome, and gives insights
into the factors motivating consumer choice.
o most people you know trust the aged care industry?
Chances are they don’t, if a new report by Faster Horses
is to go by.
The insights agency sampled over 1700 members of the
general public and those experiencing aged care, and found only
18 per cent trust the industry and only 13 per cent think it’s open
and transparent.
Released at the Leading Age Care Services Australia
(LASA) National Congress in Adelaide, the Inside Aged Care
report also revealed that only about a third of people feel aged
care organisations show empathy, offer high service levels, and
take the time to understand the individual needs of those in
their care.
The study aimed to measure how Australians view trust,
government funding levels, clarity, innovation, transparency and
care levels within the industry.
Faster Horses managing director Veronica Mayne said the
report not only highlights the negative sentiment that providers
need to overcome, but also gives insights into the key factors
motivating consumer choice by asking people what aged
care options they are considering across various time periods,
stretching to the next 15 years.
“This provides the industry with a forward view of likely
demand and will enable organisations to scale up in
particular areas to manage the impact of this demand,”
Mayne said.
LASA chief executive Sean Rooney said the report was
another tool to help the industry deliver better services and
care to older Australians.
“The report will be an invaluable addition to the planning and
marketing toolkit for every aged care provider and government
agency across the nation,” Rooney said. ■
agedcareinsite.com.au
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