NDIS and aged care report reveals shocking number of incidents in 2022

More than a million reported incidents were made about the NDIS last year, with the majority relating to restrictive practices, while there were 38,000 serious incidents in aged care.

More than a million incidents were made about the treatment of disabled people last year, while in the aged care sector nearly 38,000 ‘serious incidents’ were reported to the watchdog.

The shocking numbers were revealed in a report into government services by the Productivity Commission.

In the 2021-2022 financial year, almost 1.5m reports were logged in relation to the government’s National Disability Insurance Scheme, many of them reported by providers.

The majority concerned unauthorised restrictive practices, which can include giving people sedatives or tranquillisers, which is not part of their behavioural plan, or through physical or environmental restraints.

More than one million incidents were reported to the NDIS watchdog last year.

There were also complaints to the watchdog about abuse and neglect and allegations of unlawful physical and sexual contact.

More than $29 billion was poured into the NDIS in the last financial year, with the number of people accessing the scheme jumping to 534,655.

Despite the increase in NDIS participants, it took on average 48 days to have their first plans approved, compared with 69 days in 2020.

When it came to choice, only half of NDIS participants aged 15 years and over said they were able to choose who supports them, while 42 per cent of families and carers of NDIS participants aged 15 years and over said they felt in control when selecting services.

In aged care most ‘serious incidents’ related to the unreasonable use of force. The report clarified that one incident can sometimes be logged multiple times, so the number of actual incidents are less than the total reported.

The aged care watchdog also received thousands of complaints.

New guidelines introduced last year required residential aged care services to report any incidents involving neglect, psychological or emotional abuse, stealing or financial coercion by staff, restrictive practices, unexplained absences from care and unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct.

There were also another 10,300 complaints made in aged care on top of the number of ‘serious incidents’ logged. The number of complaints rose from the previous year in NSW, Northern Territory and Tasmania.

The report released on Tuesday revealed that in 2021-22, when the industry was plagued by Covid and staff sickness, only 62 per cent of residential aged care sites met the required standards for personal and clinical care and 86 per cent for consumer dignity and choice.

NSW had the worst aged care record, with just 45.7 per cent of the 184 aged care sites assessed providing safe and effective care and just over half having skilled and qualified staff.

The report found that nearly 3000 people under the age of 65 were living in permanent residential aged care up until June last year, the majority of which were over 50.

The bill for aged care topped $25 billion in the last financial year, the report found.

Michael Brennan, Chair of the Productivity Commission said this year’s report card included new data on quality and safety in aged care services and services for people with disability.

“This type of data helps improve transparency and the accountability of governments to the communities they serve,” Mr Brennan said.