Leading seniors advocacy body COTA Australia today welcomed the announcement by Minister Fifield of the establishment of the Aged Care Quality Advisory Council to ensure the government gets advice from a range of expert voices in the provision of quality services to people in aged care.
The Aged Care Quality Advisory Council will provide advice to the Government and to the Aged Care Quality Agency that oversees standards in the aged care system.
COTA Australia Chief Executive, Ian Yates, said he was pleased that COTA had been appointed to the Council and he looked forward to contributing to measures to improve the quality of age care services that are used by more then a million older Australians.
“Older people and their families should be able to feel confident that they are receiving the highest level of care when they are at their most vulnerable, wherever they are in aged care, and there should be indicators that measure higher levels of quality so people can choose between services,” Mr Yates said.
“The recent horrendous stories coming out of a residential aged care facility in Bundaberg demonstrate the necessity of further strengthening existing safeguards for people in aged care.
“We welcome Government putting a range of experts on the Advisory Council so that service provider, clinician and consumer viewpoints all contribute to its recommendations to government and the Quality Agency.”
Mr Yates said he was also very pleased at the Minister’s keenness to look beyond the baseline standards accreditation system to the expectations that older Australians have of quality that is more than safety and gives people choice, control and dignity.
“There are varying levels of quality across the aged care sector and there needs to be a better system in place that recognises and rewards those who are doing it best.
“I look forward to working with other members of the Council to ensure we get this right.”
Media contact: Ian Yates 0418 835 439, Olivia Greentree 0439 411 774.
COTA Australia is the peak policy development, advocacy and representation organisation for older Australians, representing COTAs in every State and Territory and through them over 500,000 older Australians.
