Risk-based questions

The Commission has developed a set of standard risk-based questions that will be asked on commencement of a performance assessment. Quality assessors will ask these questions of the person in charge at the service during the entry meeting.

The Commission determines the focus of these questions based on:

• areas identified from previous assessments
• requirements of the Quality Standards which cause concern or are most frequently not met across the sector
• risk-based industry alerts which may form part of the Commission’s current strategy such as infection control.

Refer to the following questions for both residential and home services which include key areas of risk and Commission priorities.

Residential services questions

1. Have there been any adverse findings by another regulatory agency or oversight body in the last 12 months? (for example, Health Care Complaints Commission or similar, a food safety authority, or WorkCover)
2. What trends do your complaints data show you?
3. How many consumers have pressure injuries?
4. Have there been any medication incidents in the past 6 months where a consumer required hospitalisation or attention by a medical officer?
5. How many consumers have had falls and required medical attention in the past 3 months?
6. How many consumers at the service are currently subject to restrictive practices? (Prompt for a separate answer to chemical restraints, mechanical restraints, environmental restraints, physical restraints and seclusion)
7. Have there been any incidents (past 6 months) where a consumer or staff member required medical attention and/or psychological treatment as a result of challenging behaviour from another consumer?
8. What action has the service taken to assess and minimise infection-related risks for the care of aged care consumers, including the impact of a potential coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak?

Home services questions

1. Have there been any adverse findings by another regulatory agency or oversight body in the last 12 months? (for example, Health Care Complaints Commission or similar, a food safety authority, or WorkCover)
2. What trends do your complaints data show you?
3. Has the service had unfilled shifts in the last month?
4. Does the service have specific strategies to help staff to provide care to consumers living with dementia? If so, what are these?
5. Does the service have a process to identify and respond to changes in the condition of consumers? If so, what are these?
6. What action has the service taken to assess and minimise infection-related risks for the care of aged care consumers including the impact of a potential coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak?