Aged care homes on notice as new audit shows many homes still need to raise standards

MORE aged care homes are failing to meet basic standards than any time in the past five years under a crackdown by the national auditor in the wake of the Oakden scandal.

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MORE aged-care homes are failing to meet basic standards than at any time in the past five years, under a crackdown by the national auditor following the Oakden scandal.

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt has declared a “new era of aged-care safety and quality” as surprise audits begin across all of Australia’s 2700 aged-care homes.

Figures from the Australian Aged Care Compliance Agency show more than 80 per cent of homes that failed to pass standards tests in the past year had not fixed their problems when facing a follow-up audit.

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt

SA was over-represented, with 35 facilities not meeting expectations in 2017-18 – 18 per cent of the national total, when SA has just 9 per cent of homes.

From tomorrow homes will no longer be given notice of the date of their re-accreditation audit, Mr Wyatt said.

“There will be no compromise. Audit teams will arrive at any time to monitor and ensure the provision of safe, quality care 365 days of the year,” he said.

“This is about certainty and confidence for older Australians and families whose loved ones are receiving care.”

He said it marked the beginning of a “quantum shift” in aged-care quality.

To maintain approval for Government funding, aged-care homes must comply with four standards, which comprise 44 required outcomes. These include adequate provision of qualified staff, clinical care, nutrition, hygiene, dignity, privacy and security.

A damning report by the SA’s Chief Psychiatrist found systemic abuse of residents at Oakden, which sparked a series of investigations into the home and departments with oversight responsibilities.