Summary
Date: 27 February 2018
Following a referral on 6 December 2017 from the Minister for Health and Sport, The Hon Greg Hunt MP, the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport will inquire into and report on the Quality of Care in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Australia. It will examine:
- incidence of all mistreatment of residents in residential aged care facilities and associated reporting and response mechanisms
- effectiveness of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency, the Aged Care Complaints Commission, and the Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities in ensuring adequate consumer protection in residential aged care
- adequacy of consumer protection arrangements for aged care residents who do not have family, friends or other representatives to help them exercise choice and their rights in care.
The RACGP provided feedback around the importance of diagnosing and managing cases of elder abuse; some of the pitfalls of consumer protection; and the importance of advance care planning.