More than 1,000 cases of neglect are being reported in residential aged care homes each month, prompting a warning from the sector’s regulator.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) has flagged “a concerning spike” in neglect cases over the past 12 months and raised concerns about inadequate care standards.
But some aged care advocates believe the rise might be a sign that providers were taking the issue more seriously and increasingly reporting incidents to the commission.
ACQSC’s latest quarterly report on performance standards confirmed 3,134 cases of neglect in residential care homes and 556 in home care. Rates of neglect have steadily increased since late 2022, when 1,861 cases were reported by the commission.
Neglect is described by the federal government as a form of elder abuse. It can involve the withholding of basic provisions such as food, hygiene, appropriate accommodation or medication.
It can be deliberate or unintentional, when staff may not have appropriate training or resources.
ACQSC’s commissioner, Janet Anderson, said while some of the increase in neglect cases could be attributed to “a heightened awareness of this incident type, it could also point to shortcomings in personal and clinical care”.
“Clearly, there is more work to do in this important area at the levels of sector, provider and individual services,” Anderson said in the report.
Anderson said there had been an overall improvement in the sector’s standard of care but stressed “performance gaps continue to be apparent”.
“The current compliance rates show us that one in five residential aged care services failed to meet all the requirements of the quality standards in the care they provided,” Anderson said.
The chief executive of the Older Persons Advocacy Network (Opan), Craig Gear, said his clients often raised concerns about “missed meals”, “poor medication management” and “not providing personal care in a timely manner”.
“When our advocates raise this and the matter is investigated, it is often related to the quality of care and the skills of the staff,” Gear said. “We know there is an aged care workforce shortage and this does contribute to it.
“We need the right staff, in the right place, at the right time, with the right skillset.”
In 2022, an Opan audit of 27,000 calls made by aged care residents, families and carers to aged care advocates found inadequate staffing was “a major factor in poor-quality aged care and inadequate access to care”.
But Gear said it was important for providers to continue to disclose instances of neglect and to confront the issues facing the industry.
“That means responding to support the older person and having an open disclosure with their family and telling them that something was wrong,” Gear said. “But, more importantly, it means telling them what they are going to do to prevent this from happening again.”
The chief economist for the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (Ceda), Cassandra Winzar, said the increase in neglect cases signified the challenges facing the industry.
“Despite being three years on from the royal commission, the aged care sector continues to struggle with workforce shortages which are impacting on the quality of care that our older Australians are receiving,” Winzar said.
“Concerns around the funding and financial viability of residential aged care are also impacting on the sector’s ability to attract staff and improve pay and conditions. Without addressing funding issues, staffing challenges will continue to plague the industry.”
