The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will hold a virtual hearing from 31 August to 2 September 2020 to examine requirements for the delivery of high quality and safe care to older people in their homes and in the community.
What's it about?
People want to live at home to maintain independence, control and choice in how they live. To enable people to remain in their homes and in the community, a program is needed that will deliver high quality and safe care to those people. Evidence suggests that this is the best outcome for individual happiness and wellbeing outcomes as well as taking pressure off an overwhelmed residential aged care system.
Services and supports, which can be accessed through My Aged Care, for older people living at home include things like personal care (help with showering, dressing and grooming), domestic assistance or help around the house, food or meal preparation or delivered meals, transport assistance to get to and from appointments and out into the community as well as many other services and supports.
What will be discussed?
The Commissioners will examine how the fundamental tenet of choice or self-directed care can be successfully implemented in the delivery of high quality and safe care to people in their homes and in the community. Associate Professor Lee-Fay Low, University of Sydney, Susan Emerson, Australian College of Nursing, and Dr Carmel Laragy, University of Melbourne will address this issue and the question of the capability of providers to deliver care to people with complex needs in-home and community settings.
Peter Scutt, Chief Executive Officer, Mable Technologies Pty Ltd will give evidence about the use by older people of an online platform for sourcing and connecting with aged care workers. The Commissioners will hear from a number of providers about their employment and engagement models. Dr Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for Future Work, and Dr Fiona Macdonald, Senior Research Fellow, RMIT, will give evidence about the impacts of employment and engagement arrangements for the home care workforce. Professor Andrew Stewart, John Bray Professor of Law, Adelaide University will give evidence about the labour law implications for any modes of engagement or employment relationships. The Commissioners will examine whether there is a link between employment and engagement arrangements for home care workers and quality and safety of care.
Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald, AM, NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner, will give evidence about how appropriate safeguards can be put in place for people receiving care in their own homes. The Commissioners will hear about safeguards and the regulation of home care services in the Netherlands from Professor Jos Schols, MD. The Commissioners will seek to establish what regulatory and safeguarding arrangements are necessary and appropriate in Australia to ensure that high quality and safe care is delivered to people in their homes and in the community.
The Commissioners will examine whether statutory entitlements to extended leave and flexible workings arrangements are a feasible option to support family and friends of older people to provide care to their loved ones at home and in the community.
The Commissioners will hear from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner and witnesses from the Australian Government Department of Health.
The complete witness list is now available on the Commission website.
How can I attend?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public and media can follow proceedings on the live webcast on the Royal Commission website.
When is it on?
Sydney Hearing 4 (Home Care) commences at 10:00 am (AEST) on Monday, 31 August 2020 and will continue on Tuesday, 1 September and Wednesday 2 September.
What if I missed the live webcast?
The live webcast was recorded and is available to playback at any time. Transcripts are also available. Visit the ACRC's Sydney Hearing 4 page for links and details.
