Resident involvement
How can residents participate in the overall process of accreditation?
Residents and representatives should be actively encouraged to contribute to decisions made at residential aged care homes about the care and services residents receive. This ensures a focus on residents’ needs and preferences, as well as a continuous improvement approach.
Within three days of an approved provider (the owner of a residential aged care home) being told when an accreditation site audit will occur, it is a requirement that the approved provider tells residents and their representatives:
- the date and starting time of the audit
- the opportunity to talk to an assessor.
How are residents involved in the actual visits?
Resident feedback is a key form of evidence we use when making decisions. It provides us with information on how the residential aged care home meets the needs and preferences of the residents receiving care and services.
Residents and their representatives are interviewed during visits to residential aged care homes. Assessors interview at least 10% of residents or their representatives during all accreditation site audits and review audits, and during most support contacts. They are provided with information on their rights to privacy and confidentiality.
What about residents who do not speak or read English?
We have templates available for residential aged care homes to use when notifying residents and representatives of an accreditation site audit. Assessors also carry with them information about resident privacy:
- English
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Dutch
- Finnish
- Greek
- Hungarian
- Italian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Serbian
- Spanish
- Turkish
- Vietnamese
The sets of documents are available in 15 community languages:
If you believe we should provide an additional language, please make a suggestion.
What about residents with dementia?
While some residents with dementia have impaired verbal communication many do not and can provide valuable information about the care provided to them. We also interview relatives of these residents and observe how staff care for and interact with residents.
Interviews with residents with dementia may be conducted at times of the day when responses are more likely to provide adequate information.
Assessors understand the different degrees of dementia, and various styles for communicating with people with dementia.
