We regulate government-funded aged care services. We protect and support your rights so that you feel confident that your care will be safe, quality, meet your needs and help you to live the best life you can.
If you have a concern, we can help by:
- listening to you and explaining your rights
- finding out what you’d like your provider to do differently
- explaining our role and how we can best help you.
What we can’t do
We can’t:
- give advice on the availability of care or services in your local area
- give advice on who should make financial, legal or health decisions on behalf of an older person
- give legal advice or advice about what to include in your care agreement
- give clinical advice about what treatment you should receive
- if someone has died, determine the cause of death (this is the Coroner’s role).
Even when a concern relates to an issue we can look at, we might not be able to take action. For example, if the issue is part of legal proceedings or a coronial inquiry, or the older person doesn’t want us to examine it.
If we can’t help you, we can refer your concern to an organisation that might be able to help. For example, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, professional registration boards or other complaints bodies.
Rights-based complaints handling
The independent Aged Care Complaints Commissioner works within the Commission to make sure concerns and complaints are handled in a way that is confidential, timely and fair. Watch the video below to hear from the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner, Treasure Jennings, about what rights-based complaints handling looks like.
What happens when you contact us
When you contact us to raise a concern, you decide on how we proceed, and your privacy is protected at all times.
- you can leave feedback without being involved in how we handle it
- you can make a complaint and be part of how we handle it
- you can choose to not share your identity (name, personal information and contact details) with us
- you can choose to not share the identity of anyone involved in the complaint with the provider
- you will have certain rights and protections if you give us information that shows a provider, worker or responsible person may not be meeting their obligations under aged care law. These are called whistleblower protections.
Find out more about what happens when you call us in our What to expect when you raise a concern with us fact sheet.
The difference between giving feedback and making a complaint
You can raise your concern with us by giving feedback or making a complaint.
Giving feedback is a way to tell us about your concern without being involved in the resolution process (how we handle it). We don’t expect you to take part in the resolution process. Instead, we look at the information you give us, assess and monitor the situation, and take action as needed.
If you want to raise your concern anonymously or don’t want to be involved in a complaint resolution process, giving feedback could be the easiest option. You can find more information in Give feedback.
If you want to be involved with how we handle your concern, it’s best to make a complaint.
If you choose to make a complaint, you can be included at each step of the process, if you give us your contact details. The process involves 5 steps including:
- Collect and triage
- Assess
- Resolve
- Finalise
- Evaluate
Find out more about our complaints process including what happens at each stage via the following resources:
- Web page: Our complaints process
- Video: The Commission’s complaints handling process
When you have a concern or complaint, we have some tips to make the process a little easier. These include:
- write down your concerns
- focus on the facts
- include important information
- be clear about what you want
- ask for support.
Visit Tips for raising your concern to read more about each of these tips.
Selma’s story – personal hygiene and dignity
Complaint description
Selma* lives in a residential care service, and she contacted us for some advice and support.
She uses a wheelchair because of her increasing frailty and poor balance. Selma was starting to get incontinence and felt that her personal hygiene needs were not being met. This affected her dignity and overall wellbeing.
Selma did not have any family support, and she did not feel confident raising her concerns directly with the provider. She felt uncomfortable discussing such a sensitive and personal topic, particularly as she felt the provider was doing the best they could, and she did not want to be a bother.
What happened
We spoke to Selma about what she should expect from her provider, the support available to her through advocacy services, and how important it is that the service meets her needs.
After learning about her rights, Selma was more convinced that she should speak up. But she still felt unsure if she would be able to manage on her own.
Selma decided that she would like the support of an advocacy service to help her raise her concern with her provider. With Selma’s permission, we contacted the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) for her. OPAN contacted Selma and supported her to talk with her provider and arrange for them to meet.
Together, they worked with the staff to revise her personalised care plan that made sure that Selma’s personal hygiene needs were met. This improved her quality of life.
Marco’s story – lack of consultation and communication
Complaint description
Marco is in his late 70s living in his own home. Every month for a few years now, Marco has been getting help with his gardening through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
He loves his garden, but it was becoming too much for him to manage safely on his own.
Marco had a good relationship with his usual gardener, but Paul retired at the end of last year.
Marco was not happy with the new gardener as he often turned up late and sometimes didn’t turn up at all. This meant that Marco’s beloved garden was getting out of control.
Marco contacted us to try and find out his options.
What happened
We provided Marco with:
- information about his service agreement
- his rights as a person receiving care
- some tips on contacting his home service provider.
Marco said he was happy to speak up and raise his concerns directly with his provider. He felt that he now had all the right information.
A few days later, Marco told us that he had contacted his home service provider and the conversation went well. They discussed Marco’s needs for a regular monthly service.
The provider agreed to make sure that his gardener arrived on time and that he would be told about any last-minute changes.
Next steps and contact information
- Try and talk to your provider first. They must support you to understand your rights and to raise a concern or complaint.
- Contact the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN). If you require information or support with government-funded aged care services, OPAN’s Aged Care Advocacy Line can provide free, confidential, and independent support. You can speak with an advocate by calling 1800 700 600 or visit opan.org.au.
- If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your provider or if speaking to your provider hasn’t helped, you can speak with us. You can:
- phone us on 1800 951 822 (free call)
- contact us online via agedcarequality.gov.au/contact-us/complaints-feedback/make-complaint
- write to us at Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
GPO Box 9819, in your capital city.
