On 9 February 2021, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety published new research on whether the quality of aged care facilities varies with residents’ financial means.
The report compares facilities based on the percentage of “supported residents” they have. “Supported residents” refers to residents whose accommodation is partially or fully paid by the Australian Government.
Less supported residents means more services
Extra or additional services were more common among facilities with a lower percentage of supported residents.
Perhaps predictably, facilities with less supported residents, with extra services, and more staff, on average provide more care minutes to residents. Care minutes refers to the amount of time, on average, residents receive care from staff per day.
That is not to say that financially disadvantaged residents are receiving lower quality care but may be the result of the extra services that more financially well-off residents can afford to pay for. Residents at facilities with extra services received 17 minutes/day more than residents at facilities without extra services.
Facilities with less than 30% supported residents spent more money on staff, care management, registered nurses, and allied health, which would better enable them to provide additional care minutes to residents.
More supported residents only slightly impacts quality of care
The research found that the number of physical assaults was higher, and more residents were reported missing, in facilities with 50% or more supported residents. This is despite the finding that the use of physical restraints was higher in those facilities. However, the difference was only slight. The medium of serious physical assaults at facilities with less than 30% supported residents being 0.8 per 100 residents and 1.69 per 100 residents at facilities with 50% or more supported residents.
The number of sexual assaults was found to be slightly higher in those facilities that offer extra services, being a medium of 1.69 per 100 residents for facilities with no extra services and a medium of 2.05 per 100 residents for facilities with extra services.
Surprisingly, facilities with less than 30% supported residents received the highest complaints from residents and residents’ families. The complaints were primarily issues with communication with family members, food and catering, and personal care.
Facilities with 50% or more supported residents received the second highest number of complaints, mainly concerning issues around abuse, client assessment, dignity, and healthcare.
The report concludes that the perception that residents with greater financial means receive a better quality of aged care is supported by a small number of indicators, but that the differences are, overall, not statistically significant.
Why aged care performance data is important
All residents in aged care facilities deserve the highest standard of care. We have long campaigned for more public data on quality of care. The Royal Commission is showing the benefits of having such data – even if the data shows that issues are not significant. People moving into aged care, and their families, need data to make more informed decisions about moving into aged care and which facility best suits their needs. Regulators and aged care facilities need data to improve performance and standards of care.
Expert help for those in or moving into aged care
If you, or a loved one, needs expert help in moving into aged care, or are dissatisfied with the standard of care being offered at an aged care facility, talk to our expert aged care lawyers about the options available. To confidentially discuss your needs call us on 1800 874 949 or fill in the form below, and we will be in touch.
