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One-third of all complaints made to Australia’s aged care safety watchdog in the ACT this year were related to COVID-19. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission received 105 formal complaints relating to ACT aged-care facilities in 2020. Of those, 34 of the complaints made in the ACT related to issues stemming from COVID-19, which has severely impacted Australia’s aged-care sector. New figures from the commission have revealed the proportion of aged-care complaints in the ACT has fallen in the past year. During 2020, complaints from Canberra accounted for 1.2 per cent of all complaints made nationally, of which 8888 were made. That’s down from the previous low of 1.3 per cent of national complaints in 2016 and the high of 1.8 per cent in 2019. Figures have revealed that 75 of the ACT’s aged-care complaints related to 20 facilities across Canberra. Nine nine complaints are still being examined by the commission. Aged care quality and safety commissioner Janet Anderson said the organisation took all complaints seriously and aimed to resolve the issues with aged-care facilities quickly. “The commission has closely monitored aged-care services impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms Anderson said. “We have continued to manage all complaints, including COVID-19 related complaints, received about aged-care services and taken action in response to complaints where appropriate.” At a national level, the most common issue raised was about infectious disease control, communication issues with family or representatives, staffing levels, medication administration and falls prevention. “In response, the commission has provided advice and support to consumers and families to help the understand their rights, and where required, has raised concerns with providers to ensure they are meeting their responsibilities and acting in the best interest of consumers,” Ms Anderson said. Two aged-care facilities in the ACT were hit with non-compliance notices as a result of complaints made to the commission during 2020. BaptistCare in Griffith and Uniting Amala Gordon were served with the notices earlier this year following investigations by the commission into the complaints. Non-compliance notices at both facilities are now no longer active. The commission handed the non-compliance notice to BaptistCare after failing to meet four standards including ongoing assessment and planning with consumers, personal and clinical care, human resources and organisational governance. The Griffith facility had previously been served with a non-compliance notice in September 2018. Meanwhile, Uniting’s aged-care facility in Gordon failed to comply with seven standards, leading to its non-compliance order being issued. These included consumer dignity, services and support for daily living along with feedback and complaints. It’s the second time in as many years the site has been issued with such a notice. A spokeswoman for Uniting said the commission found the Gordon facility to be fully compliant following accreditation checks in July. “Following a site visit in January 2020, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission identified a number of focus areas where Uniting Amala needed to improve, to meet quality standards,” the spokeswoman said. “These areas included better matching our staffing to resident needs and improving our complaint/feedback mechanisms and assessment/care-planning processes. “None of the areas of improvement required were related to COVID.”
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One-third of all complaints made to Australia’s aged care safety watchdog in the ACT this year were related to COVID-19.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission received 105 formal complaints relating to ACT aged-care facilities in 2020.
Of those, 34 of the complaints made in the ACT related to issues stemming from COVID-19, which has severely impacted Australia’s aged-care sector.
New figures from the commission have revealed the proportion of aged-care complaints in the ACT has fallen in the past year.
During 2020, complaints from Canberra accounted for 1.2 per cent of all complaints made nationally, of which 8888 were made.
That’s down from the previous low of 1.3 per cent of national complaints in 2016 and the high of 1.8 per cent in 2019.
Figures have revealed that 75 of the ACT’s aged-care complaints related to 20 facilities across Canberra. Nine nine complaints are still being examined by the commission.
Aged care quality and safety commissioner Janet Anderson said the organisation took all complaints seriously and aimed to resolve the issues with aged-care facilities quickly.
“The commission has closely monitored aged-care services impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms Anderson said.
“We have continued to manage all complaints, including COVID-19 related complaints, received about aged-care services and taken action in response to complaints where appropriate.”
At a national level, the most common issue raised was about infectious disease control, communication issues with family or representatives, staffing levels, medication administration and falls prevention.
“In response, the commission has provided advice and support to consumers and families to help the understand their rights, and where required, has raised concerns with providers to ensure they are meeting their responsibilities and acting in the best interest of consumers,” Ms Anderson said.
Two aged-care facilities in the ACT were hit with non-compliance notices as a result of complaints made to the commission during 2020.
BaptistCare in Griffith and Uniting Amala Gordon were served with the notices earlier this year following investigations by the commission into the complaints.
Non-compliance notices at both facilities are now no longer active.
The commission handed the non-compliance notice to BaptistCare after failing to meet four standards including ongoing assessment and planning with consumers, personal and clinical care, human resources and organisational governance.
The Griffith facility had previously been served with a non-compliance notice in September 2018.
Meanwhile, Uniting’s aged-care facility in Gordon failed to comply with seven standards, leading to its non-compliance order being issued. These included consumer dignity, services and support for daily living along with feedback and complaints.
It’s the second time in as many years the site has been issued with such a notice.
A spokeswoman for Uniting said the commission found the Gordon facility to be fully compliant following accreditation checks in July.
“Following a site visit in January 2020, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission identified a number of focus areas where Uniting Amala needed to improve, to meet quality standards,” the spokeswoman said.
“These areas included better matching our staffing to resident needs and improving our complaint/feedback mechanisms and assessment/care-planning processes.
“None of the areas of improvement required were related to COVID.”