Royal Commission Into Aged Care Quality & Safety Underway

The much-anticipated Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety had its first public sitting in Adelaide on Friday 18 January. Commissioners Lynelle Briggs and Richard Tracey outlined their vision on how the Commission will operate, with Senior Counsel members making statements on the future of the inquiry, as well as feedback received so far from providers and the public.

“A key feature of the Commission is to focus on the future and what the aged care system should be: a world-class caring system in which those receiving aged care and their loved ones can have confidence,” said Commissioner Briggs.

“A system which has services that are compassionate, fit for purpose, customised to individual needs and of the highest standards in term of quality and care and safety.”

Major themes likely to be addressed by the Royal Commission include:

• Quality and safety
• Access and inclusion
• Young people with disability
• Interfaces and transitions
• Future challenges and opportunities
• How to deliver quality care in a sustainable way

What the Commission means for the sector

The Royal Commission is both a challenge and an opportunity to improve business practices to become best placed in moving towards a post-commission future. Those that see the Royal Commission as a way to focus on improvement will successfully negotiate what is likely to be a demanding inquiry.

“The risk is that the most reactive – those that leave it to the last moment – will find themselves in a precarious position,” said Michael Kitts, a Partner at Deloitte.

“Providers need to move early to assess and, where necessary, improve their ability to build trust and keep customer promises. It will enhance their ability to make their voices heard and be the providers of choice in a sector undergoing significant change.”

Making the best of the Commission

The Royal Commission can be a catalyst for the betterment of all the sector – vulnerable customers, diligent carers, responsible service providers and government authorities who are rightfully prudent in spending tax dollars.

There is movement toward a greater focus on outcomes rather than inputs and activity, and the Royal Commission will likely push the aged care sector to adopt a similar stance. New business models based on consumer directed care are already underway, and consumer demand, including the preference for in-home care, will continue to drive business models in that direction.

Hearings from submissions will begin in February 2019.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash