The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) has announced an increase in audits following the latest report, which found that one in every three home care services fails to comply with all eight standards. Despite an improvement in home care compliance from 52% to 66%, the ACQSC will be ramping up the number of quality audits and educational initiatives for the sector.
The latest report from the ACQSC has raised concerns, prompting a commitment to increase the number of quality audits in the upcoming years. Specifically, the report stated that there will be an increase in audits in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
“We will be enhancing our education within the sector by focusing on Quality and Safety in Home Services – 5 Key Areas of Risk and adhering to sector guidance on Provider Guidance – Home Services Pricing and Agreements price capping regulation”.
The report revealed that the lowest compliance rates were observed in Standard 8, which pertains to organizational governance. Only 75 percent of home care services were found to be compliant, in contrast to the 90 percent compliance rate observed in residential aged care facilities.
It is imperative for home service providers to prioritize the implementation of robust governance practices in order to ensure the delivery of safe and high-quality care. This will not only enhance the overall quality of care provided but also contribute to the organization’s compliance with regulatory standards.
Quality Standard 2, which focuses on ongoing assessment and planning with consumers, achieved a score of 77 percent, making it one of the lowest-performing standards.
The report highlighted that concerns regarding Standard 2 were evident in the complaints data. Specifically, complaints related to case management, coordination, and care planning ranked among the top 10 issues reported for home services this quarter.
Furthermore, Standards 1 and 3, which pertain to consumer dignity and choice, as well as personal care and clinical care, experienced a 6% decline. The report emphasized the importance of closely monitoring this trend.
The report revealed that neglect was the most frequently reported incident, accounting for 57% of all incidents. However, the Australian Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) acknowledged that the data may not be entirely accurate due to under-reporting.
“Our analysis of the data indicates that there is still a significant amount of under-reporting of Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) incidents in-home care services”, as stated in the report.
“In 2024, we will be collaborating with providers to reinforce the importance of fulfilling their reporting obligations”.
Additionally, there was a troubling 13% increase in cases of theft and financial exploitation, prompting the ACQSC to emphasize the necessity for providers to implement effective systems for detecting, responding to, and preventing such incidents in the future.