Families value ACAT advice when choosing facility

Aged care assessment teams (ACATs) are considered by consumers to be the most useful source of information about aged care facilities, according to a new survey of people with experience of arranging for a relative to move into a facility.

The online survey of 501 Australians aged 50 to 69 who were the main or joint decision maker in choosing a facility in the past five years was conducted by Galaxy Research and commissioned by Simavita, a provider of an electronic incontinence management system.

ACATs were considered the most useful source of information by 30 per cent of respondents, followed by the websites of aged care facilities (17 per cent) and calling facilities they knew of (17 per cent).

The key issues that prompted arranging residential care for a relative were lack of mobility (46 per cent), dementia/Alzheimer’s (43 per cent) and the inability to cope with everyday tasks such as cooking and cleaning (39 per cent), according to the survey. In around half of the admissions there were co-morbidities.

When it came to choosing an aged care facility, respondents said that the key factor was that it offered the level of care that would suit their relative’s needs. Secondary drivers included the location and first impressions.

Most decision makers made enquiries about the management of medication, safety concerns and management of mobility issues before choosing the facility.

Some 44 per cent of decision makers spent less than six months seriously considering aged care facility options, the survey found.

While the majority of respondents were satisfied with their chosen aged care facility, they reported there was scope for improvement in the areas of leisure and lifestyle activities (39 per cent), safety and prevention of falls (35 per cent), management of bladder issues and/or incontinence (35 per cent) and mobility issues (34 per cent).

The survey results were launched at an event in Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydney last week.