Hayylo’s Head Start to the Royal Commission Final Report
Aged care providers have been under pressure in Australia. With the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Final Report scheduled to be released on the 26th of February, tensions are high in anticipation for the details.
While the industry awaits the specifics, there are several updates to service standards that we already know.
What we know about the Aged Care Royal Commission
First, there were the Aged Care Safety and Quality Standards. Now, the way providers operate has to change again to reflect the additional regulations, bureaucracy, audits and penalties that will likely apply as a result of the Royal Commission.
From the proposed recommendations report, recommendations 109 and 110 enforce civil penalties and the right to compensation for breaches of duty of care. For providers, this means increased operational risks and therefore, higher risk aversion.
The proposed recommendations also encourage a change in funding structures for home care. Home care is being prioritised over residential care with increased incentives for customers to remain in their homes. The proposed reforms to home care waiting lists and packages encourage providers to shift to a more client-focused and comprehensive approach to home care.
To fast-track the shift towards home care, communications capabilities and the adoption of assistive technology are being emphasised to promote a level of independence in clients. Recommendation 16 highlights the effectiveness of assistive technology in mitigating the risks involved with traditional home care and its ability to help customers maintain their daily living independence.
Let’s chat about the many ways Hayylo can enable brilliant communication with your clients
Taking risks isn’t risky business
Speaking of risk, it’s expected that many providers will react to these changes with increasingly conservative mindsets in what is an already traditional industry. But amidst the proposals, one thing is being made clear to providers; the biggest risk is complacency. Continuing with business as usual without changing procedures could land providers in hot water with heightened audits and regulations.
A common misconception in the sector is that avoiding risk is the ideal, if not the only solution. When, in fact, avoiding risk is becoming the biggest threat to providers. Avoiding risk means risking your service’s efficiency, ignoring clients’ wellness and satisfaction, and jeopardising the future of the organisation.
Amongst the proposed recommendations, our recommendation is simple – be mature about risk. Stay away from a conservative reaction and take the opportunity to start a new agenda within the organisation. One that is pro-innovation, tech-savvy, and forward-thinking will help providers evolve their services to the new aged care standards post-Royal Commission.
Evidence and a digital audit trail are the new requirements
Providers who don’t adapt their services to the new regulations, sustaining their inefficient processes will be swimming against the Royal Commission’s tide. Not only in regards to a more client-centric way of delivering care, prioritising personal services and support, but also increasing operational risks by not having a digital audit trail to gather evidence and reports.
Simply put, the direction now is 1) to communicate and connect to clients on a personal level. To translate these efforts into positive client outcomes and satisfaction means expanding communication options with them and fostering trust in the service provided. And 2) to ensure care service delivery and service communications are properly tracked and ready to easily generate evidence and a digital audit trail as inspections might become more frequent in a post-Royal Commission world.
Hayylo’s communication platform is here to support this shift. We make sure aged care clients gain control of their care by enabling a range of ways to communicate and connect all involved in the duty of care. As a result, we mitigate the operational risks that come with community care service delivery, help clients retain their independence, and equip providers to work smarter and ready themselves for whatever changes come their way.
Read more: Aged Care Royal Commission: Time For The Aged Care Industry To Be Wiser
