You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.
Therefore, it stands to reason that to truly understand, you must first know what questions to ask!
Do you know if your residents feel they are being treated with dignity and respect?
Do your residents feel like they are being supported to exercise their choice and independence?
Under the New Quality Standards, Aged Care Providers will be required to demonstrate how they ensure every resident is treated with dignity and respect, and their identity, culture and diversity is valued. Providers will need to have evidence to demonstrate how each resident is able to exercise choice and independence, and how they as a quality care provider, support residents in these decisions.
Your key ‘clinical indicators’ may look good, they may even be great, but the only way to truly know if your residents are happy with their care, is to ask them. A smile or lack of aggression may not be the true indicator that a resident is happy with their 2nd daily showers. Providers are now required to show evidence that care is tailored to each resident’s needs.
Some facilities look like resorts or 5 star hotels, and command a RAD of over $1 million, however does this necessarily translate to quality care and lifestyle? Do residents feel safe and comfortable and are their lives fulfilled? Does a busy 7-day calendar of activities and a regular schedule of visiting allied health professionals, mean your residents are happy and content and feel their needs are being met?
Many providers believe they nurture an environment where residents and their families feel supported and are comfortable to give feedback or make complaints. Recent reports into the Aged Care sector have highlighted that this has often not been the case. Many residents and their families reported feeling their concerns were not adequately investigated by facility staff, leaving families to resort to installing surveillance cameras. This scenario has become all too common, with families often left feeling ‘too little, too late’ following another empty apology and promises of change. Organisations reputations are left in tatters with the loss of local support and trust in their communities.
DON’T be tomorrow’s news. Resident’s often report feeling uncomfortable giving negative feedback for fear of reprisal, and rely on family intervention once situations have escalated. This is where we can help. Our industry experts will put your residents and families at ease and unveil their experiences, the good and the bad. We will give you an independent assessment of how your services fare through the eyes of those in your care.
You will find great value in using highly specialized HDR Group consultants because our assessments are industry focused and not influenced by internal politics. Such an evaluation will help a forward-thinking company identify potential problem areas and improve its ability to manage the risk factors. We will provide an unbiased evaluation of your care and services.
Ignorance is not bliss. To find out more, please call our Managing Director Rhonda Withers on 0438 748 846 or via email rhonda@thehdrgroup.com.au
The HDR Group 