An independent complaints system and a stronger advocacy program for older people and their families would lift the quality of care provided to Australia’s most frail and vulnerable older people, the national aged consumer advocacy peak body, COTA Australia, said today.
COTA Chief Executive Ian Yates said the incidents highlighted on ABC’s Lateline last night were shocking and measures have to be put in place to ensure they don’t happen to others.
“There is no doubt that most aged care service providers provide a high level of quality care to their residents.
“However there are still cases of neglect, malnutrition, inappropriate care, and abuse which are unacceptable. Just one case is too many.
“There must be a zero tolerance approach taken to any breaches in care for older Australians and stronger penalties applied to those services that can’t meet their duty of care obligations.
“COTA Australia has advocated for many years for an independent complaints system, at arms length from the department, which has full power to investigate allegations of neglect or maltreatment in aged care.
“We are also calling for a stronger advocacy program to work with and enable older people and their families to have a greater say when levels of service are not adequate and to access internal and external complaints services and the Aged Care Standards Agency” Mr Yates said.
Mr Yates said recent changes to Australia’s aged care system are important steps in the right direction in addressing issues of quality in aged care.
“The Federal Government’s Living Longer living Better package of reforms passed by the Parliament last month will start to improve the industry, providing more care for people in their homes, greater control over services by consumers and their families, and a new set of quality indicators that will from 1 July 2014 be published on the new My Aged Care website.
“It will also provide higher funding to residential services, higher wages for many aged care workers, a stronger workforce development strategy with an emphasis on quality outcomes for older people, including more training, especially in the areas of dementia and palliative care, and the new My Aged Care website and contact centre to provide transparent information, advice and assistance.
“However still more needs to be done. In addition to better complaints and advocacy services we need to continue to move to a funding system that gives consumers the funds so if they are not being treated well they, or their families, can move to a provider that does meet their needs.
“Older people have the right to be treated with the same respect and dignity in the last stages of their life as at any other time, and we need to ensure the aged care industry delivers it.”
Media contact: Ian Yates 0418 835 439, Jane Garcia 0434 489 533
