Aberlea CEO David Knight is proud of his team who have recently been reaccredited to the satisfaction of the Aged Care Quality Standards.
All government-funded aged care providers are required to comply with the eight Aged Care Quality Standards. The standards reflect the level of care and services the community expects from aged care providers.
The new Aged Care Quality Standards were introduced in July 2019, so this was Aberlea’s first accreditation under the new standards.
“We are extremely pleased and proud to have achieved a 100% compliance rating,” Mr Knight said.
Mr Knight credited the entire Aberlea team with the achievement, and in particular thanked Director of Care and Operations, Leonie Kelly, on the work she has done in the eighteen months since her appointment.
Due to COVID-19, Aberlea was last granted accreditation in 2018, and due to exceptional circumstances, the facility was granted accreditation extensions three times, to a new date of 1 February 2023.
The Aberlea site audit was conducted by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in November 2022. Aberlea achieved compliance on all 42 requirements. The audit team spoke with management, staff, residents and visitors, they examined records and observed physical surroundings and observed what happens during a normal day at Aberlea.
The audit reported that residents said they felt valued and that they are treated with dignity. The residents’ experience results are of particular interest to Ms Kelly. “Aberlea is not just an aged care facility, it is our residents’ home, so it’s important that they feel safe and get the care they need,” Ms Kelly said.
“While the audit and accreditation cycle only comes around each three years, we continue to work with the Aberlea team with a focus on continuous improvement,” Mr Knight said. In addition to the 3-year audit, Aberlea is now participating in the star rating system for residential facilities, which was recommended by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The star rating system is administered by the Department of Health and Aged Care and came into full effect in December 2022.
“The audit process, together with the star rating system, will assist families in making decisions for family members. The public ratings provide more transparency and will ensure the delivery of acceptable standards of care,” Ms Kelly said.
“As a family member, you want to make the best decisions for your loved one, based on their individual circumstances and needs,” she added.
“We feel that Aberlea, as a small, not-for-profit facility, does exceptionally well at providing individualised support,” Mr Knight said. “We are proud of our team, they work so well together, and they know all the residents, so if an individual plan for a resident needs to change, we can implement that change in a responsive way,” Ms Kelly added.
“Aberlea has a dedicated team of staff, who are passionate about the care they provide, resulting in a fantastic facility for our residents,” Ms Kelly said.
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