Aged Care Quality Standards - Aged Care & Workers On Careseekers
As a worker on the Careseekers platform, we know you work hard to deliver quality services to your aged care clients. From time to time, it is important to review just exactly what quality aged care looks like. The Aged Care Quality Standards provides clarity on exactly what this means and why care workers should keep them front of mind when delivering services.
The Aged Care Quality Standards clearly define what good aged care should look like whether delivered in a residential facility or in the home. They were introduced in 2019 and apply to all Australian Government subsidised aged care services, whether delivered in the home or residential care.
Aged care clients on the Careseekers platform pay for your services in a variety of ways. They could pay privately or they could use their government funding. At Careseekers, we believe that no matter how a client pays for aged care services, the governing framework of the Aged Care Quality Standards should apply to all.
The Quality Standards make it easier to check that people receive good care. Good care is not about 'ticking boxes'. It's about caring for the persons’ individual needs and contributing to their health, safety and well being.
Each Quality Standard says what the consumer can expect and sets outcomes for aged care providers to meet. We have summarised the standards below so that you are aware of them when you are delivering aged care to older Australians.
Standard 1: Consumer dignity and choice
The person you are providing services to must be treated with dignity and respect. Their privacy must be respected and the person has the right to live life as they choose and to make informed choices about the services they receive.
Standard 2: Ongoing assessment and planning
The person you are providing services to is a partner in the ongoing assessment and planning that helps them get the care and services they need for their health and well-being.
Standard 3: Personal care and clinical care
The person you are providing services to gets personal care and/or clinical care that is safe and right for them.
Standard 4: Services and support for daily living
The person you are providing services to gets the services and supports for daily living that are important for their health and well-being and enables them to do the things that they want to do. A focus is on the person’s independence, health, well-being and quality of life.
Standard 5: Organisation’s service environment
Please note, this standard only applies when services are provided in a day centre, respite centre or residential aged care facility. Not in the person’s home. The person you are providing services to feels safe and comfortable in the organisation’s service environment.The environment should promote independence, function and enjoyment.
Standard 6: Feedback and complaints
The person you are providing services to feels safe and is encouraged and supported to give feedback and make complaints in relation to their services.
When the person has given feedback or made a complaint, they are involved in the process to address their issues and appropriate action is taken.
Standard 7: Human resources
The person you are providing services to gets quality care and services when needed from people who are knowledgeable, capable and caring.
Standard 8: organisational governance
The person who you are providing services to is confident that the organisations involved in their care and services are well run. The organisation should be accountable for delivering safe and quality care and services.
For a full version of the Aged Care Standards click here.
Being informed about The Aged Care Quality Standards, is a vital element to being an aged care worker. As a worker on the Careseekers platform, we expect that the care services you deliver align with these standards at all times.
To become a care or support worker, please visit www.careseekers.com.au/carer
To find disability support services, please visit www.careseekers.com.au/services/disability-support-workers
To find aged care services, please visit www.careseekers.com.au/services/aged-care-workers
To make a referral, please visit https://www.careseekers.com.au/referrals
