General News
1 February, 2023
Dedicated staff earn Aberlea accreditation
MORTLAKE aged care provider Aberlea has achieved 100 per cent compliance to earn reaccreditation to the satisfaction of the Aged Care Quality Standards.
MORTLAKE aged care provider Aberlea has achieved 100 per cent compliance to earn reaccreditation 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.
This was Aberlea’s first accreditation under the new Aged Care Quality Standards, which were introduced in July 2019.
Aberlea chief executive officer David Knight said he was proud of the entire Aberlea team, and in particular thanked director of care and operations Leonie Kelly on the work she had done in the 18 months since her appointment.
“We are extremely pleased and proud to have achieved a 100 per cent compliance rating,” he said.
Aberlea was last granted accreditation in 2018 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the facility granted accreditation extensions three times due to exceptional circumstances.
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 residents said they felt valued and treated with dignity.
The residents’ experience results are of particular interest, according 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,” she said.
Mr Knight said while Aberlea was proud of the accreditation from this month, continual improvement would remain a focus.
“While the audit and accreditation cycle only comes around every three years, we continue to work with the Aberlea team with a focus on continuous improvement,” he said.
“We feel that Aberlea, as a small, not-for-profit facility, does exceptionally well at providing individualised support.”
In addition to the three-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 from 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.
“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.
“Aberlea has a dedicated team of staff, who are passionate about the care they provide, resulting in a fantastic facility for our residents.”