Revealed: The best and worst aged care homes in NSW
Choosing the right aged care home can feel overwhelming, but a survey of residents will make the process easier. See the results.
EXCLUSIVE: The number of complaints to the aged care watchdog has jumped, as advocates warn that residents are too scared to say how they really feel about their home in surveys.
Aged Care Justice CEO Anna Willis said her organisation has seen complaints double to 115 this year and many of them are serious in nature.
The number of official complaints to the watchdog have also increased, with the latest quarterly report from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission recording 1606 complaints between January and March this year, up from 1413 for the same period a year ago.
NSW had 236 homes where 100 per cent of residents surveyed said they would recommend their home “always” or “most of the time”. In Victoria it was 225, in Queensland 94, South Australia 51, Tasmania 11, and the NT, two.
A searchable table is available online so readers can check results for their aged care home.
In NSW, the home least likely to be recommended by its own residents who were surveyed was SummitCare St Mary’s in Sydney’s West. Six out of 10 said they would not recommend it.
The 128-bed unit is full and has a waiting list.
A spokesperson was unavailable to comment prior to publication.
One happy resident Marie Clarke, 94, from Catholic Healthcare St Joseph’s in Sydney, where 100 per cent of those survyed said they would recommend it, said she had even put weight on since moving in because the food was so good.
“I like the caring staff,” Ms Clarke said. “Everyone is so patient with us and helpful. I like it that the nurses are so professional and if we need to see a doctor, one comes each week.”
When told about an increase in the number of residents in aged care saying they would recommend their home, Ms Willis said the responses, which contribute towards the overall Star Ratings for each aged care provider, were likely to give a more positive spin on what was really happening.
“They feel vulnerable,” Ms Willis said of aged care residents. “The Royal Commission found that they’re not likely to complain, even in the worst cases they uncovered.”
Aged Care Justice, which assists aggrieved persons seeking legal redress due to financial, emotional or physical damage suffered in residential aged care or home care, has seen a worrying increase in complaints this year. Most are lodged by relatives or guardians of older Australians.
“These complaints are from across Australia and are to do with not being able to provide the appropriate medication, the appropriate care support resulting in falls or even deaths at times and not meeting the needs of the individual,” Ms Willis said.
She said families or guardians should be allowed to participate in the Residents’ Experience Survey because they are less afraid of repercussions.
The latest survey, conducted by an independent team on behalf of the government, shows the percentage of residents who positively responded to the question, “How likely are you to recommend your home?” rose from 85 per cent in 2023, to 88 per cent in 2024.
The survey saw 1037 homes increase their percentage of residents happy to recommend them, while 714 saw a decline, and 278 had no change.
Up to a fifth of residents in aged care are surveyed focusing on aspects like safety, staff treatment, and the quality of food.
Whether residents would recommend their home is just one of those questions.
More Coverage
Originally published as Revealed: The best and worst aged care homes in NSW
