Providers want assurance that aged care star ratings will work for everyone

90% of residential aged care facilities are meeting or exceeding acceptable quality care requirements despite ongoing challenges with workforce shortages and the pandemic.

Preliminary star ratings have been released to aged care providers giving them a sneak peak at their scores ahead of public launch, with a majority of facilities receiving a 3 star rating or above. 

However, peak body for aged care, the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), wants assurance that the star ratings information is fair and accurate for everyone involved, as some data used to rate providers was not yet in place or funded.

Released late last week, the Federal Government announced that of aged care facilities around the country:

• 1% received 5 stars, delivering excellent quality care
• 30% received 4 stars, providing good quality care
• 59% received 3 stars, delivering acceptable quality care
• 9% received 2 stars, highlighting a need of improvement
• 1% received 1 star, requiring significant improvement within the facility

Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, said the star ratings are an important step for the sector and aged care providers need to “embrace transparency and accountability, and not make excuses”.

“Star ratings provide Australians greater and more accessible choices regarding residential aged care,” explained Minister Wells.

“We have issued providers a preview of their star rating which allows them time to prepare for their public release by talking to staff and residents, communicating with families, or developing an improvement plan.”

She added that residential aged care providers also have the opportunity for continuous, measurable improvement through the star rating system.

While the aged care sector has welcomed the star ratings and what it means for providers, Tom Symondson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ACCPA, said that the star ratings need to be based on information and data that is fair for all parties involved.

“The ratings are equally important for aged care providers and the system, however, every effort must be made to ensure the information used to decide the ratings is both fair and accurate and that every effort is made to help consumers understand what the ratings tell us about providers,” he said.

“90% of providers have received a rating of 3 stars or above which shows that services are providing everything they are funded by the Government to provide for older Australians, at a good level of quality. They have achieved this despite extraordinary funding and workforce challenges.”

He highlighted that aged care providers need to be receiving ratings that are reflective of what is happening within their facilities.

For example, Mr Symondson said some of the data and information collected to inform these star ratings were collected when minutes of care requirements were not in place or funded.

At the moment, the star ratings are broken down and scored through:

• Resident experience – accounting for 33% of a facility rating
• Compliance – 30% of a score for a facility
• Staffing – 22% of a facility star rating
• Quality measures – 15% of the overall star rating

Mr Symondson also highlighted that these star ratings scores are likely to increase for facilities over the next year as providers adapt to new requirements and work hard to make necessary changes to improve their scores.

ACCPA also believes that the factors that impact star ratings will be particularly difficult for facilities in rural areas. For example, staffing makes up 22% of a facility star rating score, but a rural or remote facility may have issues attracting or hiring available staff in the area.

While the star ratings are yet to be released to the public, the Federal Government will be working with aged care facilities with low ratings.

It is expected that the star ratings will be made public before the end of the year.