All approved providers are required to comply with the Aged Care Quality Standards (Quality Standards) which provide a framework for the core requirements of quality and safety in services.
The Charter of Aged Care Rights (Charter) is a commitment by providers to uphold the Quality Standards through the Charter’s consumer rights. These rights apply to all aged care consumers, regardless of the type of care and services they receive.
The Charter helps consumers, families, carers and representatives understand what they should expect from providers.
Provider responsibilities
Providers must support consumers to understand the Charter by:
- giving consumers a copy of the Charter signed by the provider
- assisting consumers to understand the Charter (how this is achieved is up to providers and will depend on the needs of individual consumers)
- ensuring consumers or their representatives have been given a reasonable opportunity to sign a copy of the Charter
- keeping a record of the Charter given to the consumer.
Requesting the consumer’s signature allows them to acknowledge they have received and understood the Charter. Consumers are not required to sign the Charter and can commence or continue to receive care and services even if they choose not to sign.
For further information on providers’ responsibilities and the Charter, please see the User Rights Principles 2014 and the Records Principles 2014.
Resources
- Charter of Aged Care Rights - poster
- Charter of Aged Care Rights - booklet
- Charter of Aged Care Rights - template for signing
- Charter of Aged Care Rights - video
- The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has a range of resources that you can share with your consumers about the Charter of Aged Care Rights .