More improvements needed in the sector
The latest Sector Performance Report highlights improvements that are needed in the quality of aged care.
The Sector Performance Report for the April to June 2024 quarter has been released by The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
The report shows evidence of adjustments needed in the quality and safety of aged care and highlights areas of underperformance by providers.
Performance data for the last two financial years has been included for the first time.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson said that the improvements are a reflection of the effort that providers are implementing to elevate the quality and safety of their care.
“The improvements we have seen in overall sector performance are welcome, and I commend providers who are putting in the effort to lift the quality and safety of their care,” said Ms Anderson.
“At the same time, the lower rates of compliance found in home services continues to be concerning.”
Lifting home services provider performance was a focus for the Commission, who increased its audit program for home services in 2023–24 and is continuing with that stronger focus in 2024–25.
This included home care packages and services delivered under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (including delivered meals and community transport).
The Commission’s recently released Regulatory Strategy 2024-25 shines a light on how the
Commission is striving to drive improvement across the sector and provide high quality aged care for older Australians.
A huge improvement from the beginning of the previous financial year (2022–2023) details that the 58 per cent compliance rate has now risen to 81 per cent of residential care providers being fully compliant with all requirements of the Aged Care Quality Standards (Quality Standards) in Q4 2023–2024.
Other notable shifts show that in Q4 2023-24, 65 per cent of home services providers were fully compliant with the relevant Quality Standards, as opposed to a 46 per cent compliance rate at the start of the previous financial year.
Despite this positive improvement on last year’s statistics, compliance rates in home services still fall well behind those for residential care.
The Commission has pledged to continue to keep older people safe and improve the experience of those receiving government-funded aged care.
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