Whether you are concerned about your own or someone else’s care and services, you may reach a faster and sustainable resolution by working with the service provider. This two part post explains the different ways you can work though concerns with a service provider and how the Aged Care Complaints Scheme (the Scheme) can help. Continue reading »

Anyone!

The Aged Care Complaints Scheme (the Scheme) provides a free service for anyone to raise a concern about the quality of care and services provided to people receiving Australian Government subsidised aged care.

Any person can make a complaint, including:

• the care recipient who experienced a problem
• partners, family members and friends of the person receiving care
• nominated and legally appointed representatives of the care recipient
• carers, advocates, volunteers and aged care staff
• health and medical professionals.

While it is true that anyone can complain to the Scheme, we encourage you to raise your concern with the service provider first. Often you can work out the issue with your provider without contacting the Scheme. For more information read our two part series on raising a concern with your service provider (part 1: Resolving a concern with your service provider), (part 2: How does the Scheme help you work with your service provider?).

Making a complaint is not about being difficult. It is your right to raise concerns and seek to have problems fixed!

It’s important to speak out if you have concerns about the care you or someone else is receiving. Raising a concern can help service providers improve the quality of care they provide to you and other people.

If you do raise a concern on behalf of someone else it is important that the person (or his or her representative) knows about it.

There are also advocacy services that you may be able to  access to help you raise a concern with a provider. For more information contact the National Aged Care Advocacy Line on 1800 700 600 or find the details of the advocacy agency in your state and territory on the Department of Health and Ageing website.

Browse this site, contact us or watch our video for more information. If you have a question or comment about who can complain, please leave it below.

If you have a concern or complaint that you have not been able to resolve by talking with your service provider, you can contact the Aged Care Complaints Scheme (the Scheme).

When you contact us, we’ll let you know if your complaint falls within the range of issues that we can examine. If it does, we will work with you and your service provider to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible.

To do this, we may:

• resolve it quickly without a formal process (early resolution)
• refer your complaint back to the service to examine within a set time frame  (service provider resolution)
• help you and the service provider discuss the issues and reach an agreement that resolves your concern (conciliation). This may involve a few phone calls, informal discussions and/or formal meetings. We will document the process and provide written feedback to you, the care recipient (if you are raising the concern on behalf of someone else) and your service provider
• investigate your complaint (investigation). Investigations can be simple, for example gathering information and discussing the issues with both parties. They can also be more complex, involving visits to the service, analysing records and conducting interviews. Feedback is provided to everyone throughout an investigation, unless you remain anonymous. The Scheme will write to both parties to advise the outcome of the investigation.

In cases where we are unable to achieve a resolution to your complaint, we may ask you and the service provider to enter into a formal mediation process. We are not directly involved in mediation. Mediation does have a cost, which both parties would need to discuss.

While resolving your complaint through the approaches above we may:

• consult professionals about clinical or technical matters
• ask for information from you, the service provider or other people
• visit the service involved
• review any relevant information given to us
• refer an issue to another organisation if they can more appropriately deal with it.

To help us achieve the best possible resolution to your complaint, we have put together some tips for raising a concern effectively.

Our focus is on reaching the best outcome as quickly as possible. The more formal resolution options may take longer. When you call us, we will talk with you about the different approaches and what to expect.

If you have any questions or comments about how we resolve complaints, please leave them below.

It’s ok to make a complaint
Raising concerns you have about the quality of care you or someone you know is receiving isn’t ‘being difficult’. It’s a normal part of service delivery. Raising concerns can provide an opportunity for aged care services to become aware of issues, find solutions and improve their service.

The majority of complaints can be addressed quickly by discussing the issue(s) with your service provider, in person or over the phone.

Anyone can make a complaint about aged care in Australia by discussing issues directly with a service provider or by contacting the Aged Care Complaints Scheme (the Scheme).

If you have a concern, there are a few things that will help make your complaint more effective and easier to resolve.

Put your concerns in writing
More complex or less urgent concerns are best put in writing. Writing a letter allows you to collate relevant information in one document and present it in a logical flow, making it easier for service providers or the Scheme to understand your complaint. It also provides you with a written record of raising a concern.

Focus on the facts
It can be distressing to be concerned about issues that affect you or a loved one. Feeling angry and frustrated is common in these situations.

A calm, written complaint that details facts and events clearly will assist the service provider or the Scheme in understanding and assessing your complaint.

Include important information
Provide concise background information on the issue and outline any steps taken by you or the care recipient to fix the problem. Include times, dates and names of staff that you spoke to and their responses. It’s also useful to include copies of any forms, letters or documents that relate to the complaint.

Be clear about the outcome you want to achieve
Your complaint will be most effective if you are seeking an outcome that is realistic and aims to improve the quality of services provided to the care recipient. Be sure to aim for a realistic outcome as this can speed up the resolution of your concern.

Ask for help
Making a complaint can be a confronting experience for many people, particularly when it concerns staff or service providers with whom you have an ongoing relationship. Ask a friend or family member to help you write out your complaint, or contact an Advocacy Service for support.

More tips and advice
You can visit the Aged Care Commissioner’s ‘Practical Tips for Making a Complaint’ page and Commonwealth Ombudsman’s ‘Making a Complaint’ page for more information on raising an effective complaint.

What do you think makes an effective complaint? Share your thoughts in the comments below.