Serious risk
What will happen if serious risk is identified during a visit?
The Agency must inform the Department of Health and Ageing if it finds evidence of serious risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of residents, and may recommend sanctions be imposed. The Agency also visits the residential aged care home daily to monitor the residential aged care home’s progress until serious risk is mitigated.
If serious risk is identified during an accreditation site audit the residential aged care home will not be accredited until the serious risk is resolved and the residential aged care home can satisfy the Agency:
- the residential aged care home is safe for residents; and
- any non-compliance will be rectified in an acceptable timeframe; and
- the residential aged care home has the capability to, and will, undertake continuous improvement.
If serious risk is identified during a review audit the residential aged care home may have its accreditation revoked or varied.
If serious risk is identified during a support contact a review audit is usually conducted.
How are residents involved?
Residential aged care homes are encouraged to inform residents and their representatives when serious risk has been identified. This may involve the residential aged care home providing information on the Agency’s function for monitoring improvements, and processes in place the residential aged care home has to resolve the issues.
