Aged care rights
Aged care rights
Whether you are having care at home care or living in a residential aged care home, you have the right to be treated with respect and to receive high-quality care and support at all times. The Commonwealth Government requires all aged care providers to fulfil certain responsibilities and maintain standards set by industry guidelines and charters.
If you are given any documents about your rights, it is a good idea to share these with your family, friends and anyone else who is helping with your care, so that they can be aware of your rights and responsibilities.
Your rights when receiving home care
Any organisation (not-for-profit, private or government) that provides aged care services to you at home must follow the Home Care Standards and the Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities for Home Care. These regulations cover you if you are receiving aged care support through programs such as Home and Community Care (HACC) or a Home Care Package.
Home Care Standards require that your aged care service provider:
communicates any services changes to you
gives you all relevant information about your services
maintains your privacy and dignity at all times
deals with all of your complaints fairly
allows you to choose someone to speak on your behalf.
According to the Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities for Home Care, you have the right to:
be involved in deciding what care will meet your needs
be treated with respect
be given a written document that covers all aspects of your care
have your care and services reviewed
have your fees explained in a clear and simple way
keep your personal information private and confidential
make comments or complaints about your care (and have the process explained to you)
be provided with a copy of the charter.
You also have responsibilities under the charter, which include respecting the rights of all care workers, providing the necessary health information, abiding by the conditions of your agreement, offering access at agreed times and paying any fees outlined in the agreement.
Ask your aged care provider for a copy of the charter..
For more information about the Home and Community Care Program (HACC) in Victoria and your rights and responsibilities visit the
HACC
website
External Link
.
To make a complaint about a HACC service in Victoria email
Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities – Residential Care
Everyone living in a residential aged care home approved by the Commonwealth Government is covered by the Charter of Care Recipients’ Rights and Responsibilities – Residential Care. The document outlines your rights and responsibilities and those of your residential aged care home.
You should see a copy of the charter displayed in a public area in your aged care home, or you can request a copy from the staff. The charter is also available to download from the
Department of Social
Services
External Link
website.
Your rights in a residential aged care home
All residential aged care homes must meet accreditation standards in order to get funding from the Commonwealth Government. These standards are regularly assessed by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency which requires all aged care homes to show that they are continuing to improve their services.
Non-compliance and sanctions
If a residential aged care home is found to be not meeting the required standards, the Department of Social Services will issue a notice of non-compliance or impose sanctions. If you are using the
aged care home
finder
External Link
on the My Aged Care website to look for a residential aged care home, you will be able to see if it has a sanction in place.
For more information see the
Rights and responsibilities – residential
care
External Link
page on the My Aged Care website.
Aged care advocacy services
If you do not feel confident about dealing with your service provider regarding your rights, contact the
National Aged Care Advocacy Program
(NACAP)
External Link
on Tel.
1800 700 600
to find an advocate who can support you.
Aged care complaints
If you are not satisfied with the care you are getting, it is a good idea to talk to your aged care service provider first. If they are unable or unwilling to resolve the problem, contact the
Aged Care Quality and Safety
Commission
External Link
on Tel.
1800 951 822
.
Where to get help
Your
GP (doctor)
Aged Care Quality and Safety
Commission
External Link
, call Tel.
1800 951 822
Elder Rights
Advocacy
External Link
for older Victorians
Seniors Information
Victoria
External Link
for free information for older Victorians, call Tel.
1300 13 50 90