Month: June 2019

The expected outcomes that are the current focus of unannounced assessment contacts and are most frequently not met across the sector are:

• Expected outcome 1.6 Human resource management
• Expected outcome 1.8 Information systems
• Expected outcome 2.4 Clinical care
• Expected outcome 2.7 Medication management
• Expected outcome 2.8 Pain management
• Expected outcome 2.11 Skin care
• Expected outcome 2.13 Behavioural management
• Expected outcome 3.2 Regulatory compliance
• Expected outcome 3.6 Privacy and dignity
• Expected outcome 4.4 Living environment

NOTE: This information is for the period of July 2018 to October 2018 and is current as at 19 November 2018.

As was published recently in the ‘Aged Care Quality Bulletin #5, May 2019’ the Commission recently increased the number of ‘unannounced visits’ made to residential aged care services commencing on the weekend and after-hours to assist with the assessment and monitoring of performance within a 24-hour service delivery environment.

This builds on the Commission’s after-hours and weekends monitoring visits that are already in place as a result of escalated concerns, referrals or identified risks.

The extension of the monitoring program supports assessment and monitoring visits in the early hours of the morning, late in the evening, and across weekends.

To determine the focus of any unannounced assessment contact, the assessment team usually interviews the person in charge of the service and asks a series of questions to identify possible areas of risk. These questions are widely promoted, and available to view on the Commission website.

Read more:

Commission increases unannounced weekend visits

Aged Care Quality Bulletin #5, May 2019

Assessment contacts

The focus of unannounced assessment contacts will be on known areas of risk which may include:

• areas identified from previous assessment activities
• expected outcomes of the standards that are most frequently not met across the sector
• risk based campaigns such as infection control.

The assessment team interviews the person in charge of the service and this includes questions around the key areas of risk that reflect the expected outcomes which are the current focus of unannounced assessment contacts.

Responses to the questions do not need to be exhaustively detailed. However, where necessary, the assessment team may request additional details and documents to verify responses throughout the course of the assessment contact

The response to the questions will inform the scope of the assessment contact.

The following questions will be asked to identify key areas of risk:

1. Have there been any adverse findings by another regulatory agency or oversight body in the last 12 months? (e.g. Healthcare complaints commission or similar, Food safety authority, Workcover etc).
2. What trends do your complaints data show you?
3. How many consumers are receiving pressure area care?
4. Have there been any medication incidents in the past 6 months where a consumer required hospitalisation or attention by a medical officer?
5. How many consumers have had falls and required medical attention in the past 3 months?
6. How many consumers at the service are currently receiving psychotropic medications? (To be captured as a rate or percent of total consumers at the service.) How many consumers are restrained in order to manage risks to themselves or others at the service? (To be captured as a rate or percent of total consumers at the service.)
7. Can you tell me about incidents in the past 6 months where a consumer or staff member has required medical attention as a result of a challenging behaviour from a consumer?

Read more:

Determining the scope of unannounced assessment contacts

Assessment contacts in residential aged care (.pdf)