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    • New Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on the way – but more funding needs to be priority

    New Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on the way – but more funding needs to be priority  

    The independent Commission, announced by Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt this week, will start from 1 January 2019 and see all of our aged care agencies including the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner under the one organisation. 

    The changes, recommended by the Federal Government’s review commissioned after last year’s Oakden scandal in South Australia, will also see a new performance rating against the Government’s quality standards for aged care homes and a provider comparison tool added to the My Aged Care website. 

    There will also be a new Serious Incident Response Scheme which will investigate major complaints and illness outbreaks in aged care homes. 

    All welcome initiatives designed to prevent more of the failures that we have seen highlighted in the media recently. 

    But while we agree having a single point of contact will make it easier for residents and their families to raise any issues, we question this focus on one agency to ‘fix’ everything. 

    Show me the money 

    Good quality care is of course central to supporting our older Australians, but there is little point in having high standards if the sector is not funded properly. 

    I was reading data this week that our personal carer and assistant workforce will need to increase by 33 per cent in the next five years – that’s over 90,000 extra workers. 

    But it’s also the job predicted to have the most vacancies – and we can see why. Pay is low and as we covered here, most aged care services are struggling to stay viable and cannot afford to pay more to staff. 

    The home care packages program is also in trouble with over 100,000 people currently on the waiting list, half receiving care at levels below what they need. 

    The Government is promising an aged care package in the Federal Budget. We hope it delivers – otherwise who will care for us and our loved ones? 

    https://www.agedcare101.com.au/contributors/annie-donaldson

    https://www.agedcare101.com.au/contributors/jill-donaldson-care

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    A special thanks to our contributors

    Icons
    Caroline Egan

    DCM Media, agedcare101

    Caroline has a wealth of experience writing within the retirement and aged care sector and is a contributing journalist for the Villages.com.au and agedcare101 blog and accompanying newsletters.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Ian Horswill

    Journalist

    Ian is a journalist, writer and sub-editor for the aged care sector, working at The DCM Group. He writes for The Weekly Source, agedcare101, villages.com.au and the DCM Institute fortnightly newsletter Friday. Ian is in daily contact with CEOs of retirement living, land lease and the aged care operations and makes a new contact every week. He investigates media releases, LinkedIn and Facebook for a good source for ideas for stories.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Lauren Broomham

    Retirement and Aged Care Journalist

    Lauren is a journalist for villages.com.au, agedcare101 and The Donaldson Sisters. Growing up in a big family in small town communities, she has always had a love for the written word, joining her local library at the age of six months. With over eight years' experience in writing and editing, she is a keen follower of news and current affairs with a nose for a good story.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Jill Donaldson

    Physiotherapist

    Jill has been practicing as a clinical physiotherapist for 30 years. For the last 13 years she has worked solely in the Aged Care sector in more than 50 metropolitan and regional facilities. Jill has also toured care facilities in the US and Africa and is a passionate advocate for both the residents in aged care and the staff who care for them. She researches and writes for DCM Media.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Chris Baynes

    DCM Media, agedcare101

    Chris has been a journalist and publisher in the retirement village and aged care sectors for 11 years. He has visited over 250 retirement villages and 50 aged care facilities both within Australia and internationally. Chris is a regular speaker at industry conferences plus is a frequent radio commentator.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Annie Donaldson

    Nurse and Carer

    Annie has a long career in both nursing and the media. She has planned and co-ordinated the medical support from both international TV productions and major stadium events. In recent years she has been a primary family carer plus involved in structured carer support.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Caroline Egan

    DCM Media, agedcare101

    Caroline has a wealth of experience writing within the retirement and aged care sector and is a contributing journalist for the Villages.com.au and agedcare101 blog and accompanying newsletters.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Ian Horswill

    Journalist

    Ian is a journalist, writer and sub-editor for the aged care sector, working at The DCM Group. He writes for The Weekly Source, agedcare101, villages.com.au and the DCM Institute fortnightly newsletter Friday. Ian is in daily contact with CEOs of retirement living, land lease and the aged care operations and makes a new contact every week. He investigates media releases, LinkedIn and Facebook for a good source for ideas for stories.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Lauren Broomham

    Retirement and Aged Care Journalist

    Lauren is a journalist for villages.com.au, agedcare101 and The Donaldson Sisters. Growing up in a big family in small town communities, she has always had a love for the written word, joining her local library at the age of six months. With over eight years' experience in writing and editing, she is a keen follower of news and current affairs with a nose for a good story.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Jill Donaldson

    Physiotherapist

    Jill has been practicing as a clinical physiotherapist for 30 years. For the last 13 years she has worked solely in the Aged Care sector in more than 50 metropolitan and regional facilities. Jill has also toured care facilities in the US and Africa and is a passionate advocate for both the residents in aged care and the staff who care for them. She researches and writes for DCM Media.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Chris Baynes

    DCM Media, agedcare101

    Chris has been a journalist and publisher in the retirement village and aged care sectors for 11 years. He has visited over 250 retirement villages and 50 aged care facilities both within Australia and internationally. Chris is a regular speaker at industry conferences plus is a frequent radio commentator.

    Read Profile
    Icons
    Annie Donaldson

    Nurse and Carer

    Annie has a long career in both nursing and the media. She has planned and co-ordinated the medical support from both international TV productions and major stadium events. In recent years she has been a primary family carer plus involved in structured carer support.

    Read Profile