List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

5.13

The committee recommends the Australian Government release its consolidated response to all recommendations in key reports made in the past decade to improve aged care service delivery and regulation, and its interaction with the primary health and acute care sectors.

Recommendation 2

5.19

The committee recommends that the Australian Government clarify that residential aged care providers ultimately hold a duty of care to all residents.

Recommendation 3

5.24

The committee recommends that the Australian Government implement a clearly articulated principle that the duty of care for the regulation of all care within the aged care residential setting ultimately rests with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Recommendation 4

5.29

The committee recommends the Australian Government establish a body with responsibility for aged care research.

Recommendation 5

5.33

The committee recommends the Australian Government continue work to expand the role of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, in consultation with aged care stakeholders, to drive continuous improvement in levels of quality and safety in aged care.

Recommendation 6

5.38

The committee recommends that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission work collaboratively with the Department of Health, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and aged care stakeholders to develop an industry model of care. This model of care should incorporate a model clinical governance framework which clearly defines the scope of personal and clinical care.

Recommendation 7

5.39

The committee recommends that the requirements for a model of care and clinical governance framework be more clearly articulated within the Single Aged Care Quality Framework, including clearly defined service outcomes expected from those frameworks.

Recommendation 8

5.42

The committee recommends that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission work collaboratively with the Department of Health, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and aged care stakeholders to develop benchmarks for staffing levels and skills mix, which includes the requirement to roster an Registered Nurse on duty at all times, to assist residential aged care providers in staff planning and aged care assessors in regulating safe and appropriate staffing.

Recommendation 9

5.49

The committee recommends the Australian Government take action, as a matter of urgency, to ensure the National Framework for Reducing and Eliminating the Use of Restrictive Practices in the Disability Service Sector is extended to cover the aged care sector.

Recommendation 10

5.50

The committee recommends the Australian Government investigate, as a matter of urgency, changes to ensure that the use of antipsychotic medications in residential aged care facilities must be approved by the Chief Clinical Advisor of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Recommendation 11

5.52

The committee recommends that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission develop a regulatory model to oversee medications management in residential aged care facilities.

Recommendation 12

5.56

The committee recommends that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission work with the Department of Health and aged care stakeholders to improve the palliative care environment in residential aged care facilities.

Recommendation 13

5.59

The committee recommends that the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission work with the Department of Health to develop mechanisms to increase the focus on wellness and reablement in residential aged care facilities.

Recommendation 14

5.61

The committee recommends the Department of Health work collaboratively with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Primary Health Networks, residential aged care providers and medical stakeholders to achieve better integration of the aged care environment with the primary health and acute care sectors.

| Contents |