The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has released its latest aged care complaints report - ‘Complaints about aged care home services – Insights for people receiving care’. 

This is the first complaints report specifically for people receiving aged care and focuses on the experience of the more than 1 million older people receiving care at home through Home Care Packages or through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.

The most common issues that people have with home services relate to two main areas – consultation and communication, making up 15 percent of complaints, and fees and charges, making up 10 percent of complaints. Notable in the report is that, despite a much higher proportion of people accessing home services, there were fewer complaints about these services compared with residential aged care. 

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, Janet Anderson, emphasised the importance of people raising concerns they may have about the care they receive.

“Around one quarter of all Australians aged 65 and over are receiving government subsidised aged care at home. It is important that those people are confident about the quality and safety of that care. That confidence comes from having choice and control over how your care is provided and letting your provider know if something is not right,” the Commissioner said. 

The Commission’s latest complaints report includes information about aged care standards, data collected from thousands of complaints, case studies and useful tips for people receiving care. It aims to help people to understand what to expect from their home services provider and sets out what to do if things are not going the way they want. 

Aged Care Complaints Commissioner, Louise Macleod, said the Commission can help people to resolve concerns they have about their care. 

“Anyone can make a complaint and if something is not right or does not seem right, I really encourage you to speak up. 

“It is often easier and quicker to raise your concerns with your provider directly, but if you have not been able to resolve issues or don’t feel comfortable raising concerns directly, the Commission can help. 

“For providers, every complaint is an opportunity to make changes and address things that are important to people they are caring for,” the Complaints Commissioner said. 

In addition to working with aged care providers to resolve complaints lodged about their care, the Commission draws on complaints as a key source of intelligence. Complaints complement information and findings made through the Commission’s other regulatory and education activities and help the Commission to understand what a provider is and is not doing, and whether they are meeting the standards and complying with the law. This in turn can inform any future regulatory action the Commission may take. 

Complaints can be made to the Commission by telephone on 1800 951 822 or by visiting the Commission’s website at www.agedcarequality.gov.au. 

More information about making a complaint is available on the Commission’s website at: www.agedcarequality.gov.au/contact-us/complaints-concerns.

The Complaints about aged care home services - Insights for people receiving care report is published on the Commission’s website at: www.agedcarequality.gov.au/resource-library/complaints-about-aged-care-home-services-insights-people-receiving-care-report. 

Download the PDF version of this media statement.

Media enquiries: media@agedcarequality.gov.au