Lack of communication tops home care complaints

Lack of communication between home care providers and consumers is the most common cause of complaints to the aged care quality regulator, the latest sector performance report shows.

Lack of communication between home care providers and consumers is the most common cause of complaints to the aged care quality regulator, the latest sector performance report shows.

Source: Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

The Aged Care Quality and and Safety Commission’s latest Home Services sector performance report reveals 873 complaints were made about home care services between October and December 2021, with lack of consultation or communication topping the list.

There were 161 complaints about lack of communication and 132 complaints about fees and charges. A total of 129 complaints were about management of finances and 112 concerned client care and coordination.

The number of complaints in the December compared to 811 the previous quarter, the figures show.

However the commission says low or high complaint numbers aren’t necessary a measure of good or poor service delivery of themselves.

“Under the Aged Care Quality Standards, all providers are required to have a complaints system in place to resolve complaints locally,” the report says.

“A service with a positive complaints culture encourages feedback and uses it as an opportunity to improve service delivery.”

Home care was most complained about in Victoria, with 269 complaints registered.

The Commission finalised 839 complaints about home services in the reporting period.

Non-compliance

The commission found non-compliance with the aged are quality standards in relation to 11 services, most commonly with regards to requirements for assessment and planning for safe and effective care.

It issued five non-compliance notices, and one sanction was imposed on a provided who failed to transfer unspent funds to the commonwealth after it stopped providing care to the client/clients involved.

Increase in applications for approval

The report also shows a  jump in the number of organisations applying to become an approved home care provider, with 227 applications made during the December 2021 quarter compared to 41 in the previous four months.

This may be related to the introduction of fees for all applicants from November 15, with the increase in applications occurring before that date, the report notes.

Fourteen of the applications were declined and 53 didn’t proceed, which meant they were either withdrawn or were incomplete. Four applications were approved.

There are currently 2,243 home care services in Australia, including home care packages, CHSP and flexible care, the report shows.

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1 thought on “Lack of communication tops home care complaints

  1. I found it interesting when you said that according to the most recent sector performance report, poor communication between home care providers and clients is the most frequent reason for complaints to the aged care quality regulator. Ever since my grandma’s dementia diagnosis, my mother and my grandma’s siblings have discussed home care provider. Lack of communication is the most common complaint about home care, and I will share your information with them straight away.

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