A holistic approach to aged care

This is a submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, made on behalf of consumers. 

Gray QC has said that a holistic approach to aged care is needed.  Principles suggested here for such an approach are

• Quality of care should be measured automatically, allowing prompt intervention

• Quality of life should be measured by annual surveys with large sample sizes

• Action in response to unacceptable quality levels should be prompt and decisive

• All quality and financial data should be publicly available

• Provider subsidies should be set at levels allowing reasonable profits in all regions

• Automated time records could help determine mandated staff levels

• Providers must have financial structures which allow assessment of their financial position

• Regulators should have a range of options to deal with unsatisfactory profitability, liquidity or capital adequacy

• Aged care regulation needs to be underpinned by ongoing research.