Australian Aged Care Home Star Ratings Guide 2024

The top rated and underperforming aged care homes across Australia have been revealed. Search and see the list and watch our exclusive video.

Exclusive: The proportion of aged care residents given antipsychotic drugs without a prescription has risen sharply across Australia, as have the number of falls being reported, according to new data.

The government’s official figures show New South Wales, South Australia, and Northern Territory recorded a spike among residents given the medication – often used as a sedative – without a doctor’s diagnosis over the course of a week in the recent quarter.

Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania, meanwhile, recorded an alarming spike in the number of residents falling over the last year, with three in 10 residents taking a tumble in the last reported quarter.

Overall, aged care homes are performing better than last year, with the average overall Star Rating – the measure the Department of Health and Aged Care uses to rate a facility – now 3.7, up from 3.5 last December. Every home is rated out of 5 based on compliance, staffing, quality and what the residents think of their home in an annual independent survey.

At the moment no homes in the country have an overall Star Rating of 1. Last year there were seven. While the number of homes with 5 stars jumped from 57 to 92.

However, the latest update in the Star Ratings data, comes as a leading advocacy group has questioned whether they truly represent how a home is performing.

Watch our video above on how to choose the best aged care home.

Older Person’s Advocacy Network (OPAN) CEO Craig Gear said people are telling them that the ratings do not accurately reflect the quality of care provided to residents and that it “leads older people into a false sense of security”.

He said while OPAN acknowledges the challenges involved in rolling out the Star Ratings across the sector “improvements are urgently needed to restore trust in the system and to enable older people to make informed decisions about where they want to live”.

“The ratings system needs to evolve through continuous improvement to ensure credibility,”

Mr Gear said.

Sue with her late husband. Picture: Supplied

Sue, 69, from Tasmania, said the Star Ratings are meaningless. Her late husband, who she does not want to name, was in a 4 Star facility, but said his care was not up to scratch.

She said following a complaint to the watchdog about food options – her husband was a pescetarian – there were six months of negotiations which came to nothing, before the case was closed.

Sue said the regulator has “very limited power and there are no guaranteed outcomes and few consequences if aged care facilities and the management do not follow the

government guidelines”.

Sue’s late husband was served this unappetising vegetarian pasty served in an aged care home. Picture: Supplied

He was also served this unappetising veggie roast on Christmas Day. Picture: Supplied

After the former special needs teacher died in June aged 73, she lodged another complaint, which is still ongoing.

“I wouldn’t trust the Star Ratings as they’re not necessarily a true reflection of care or what is actually going on day to day,” she said.

Peter Willcocks, 74, who is an independent advocate for older people, said he’d like to see all the complaints about each home made public for transparency.

The government acknowledges that the system can be improved and is currently looking to “refresh” the ratings criteria and is asking for feedback on proposals.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said since the creation of Star Ratings more than two years ago, the number of aged care homes with 4 and 5 stars has substantially improved.

“Our November data shows that 69 per cent of homes (1699 homes) are now delivering good or excellent care (4 and 5 stars), a 15 per cent improvement since December 2023,” Ms Wells said.

“We will continue to develop and refine Star Ratings so they provide the transparency that older people want when choosing their care.”

Originally published as Australian Aged Care Home Star Ratings Guide 2024