The rate of non-compliance in home care was "significantly higher" than in residential aged care, according to the September quarter Sector Performance report, released by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC).
While one out of every five residential aged care homes failed to meet all 42 Quality Standards, two in five home care services did not comply, according to the 57-page report.
"There needs to be significant improvement for home services providers to deliver consistent, high-quality care for older Australians," the report states.
The ACQSC plans to increase the number of home care quality audits conducted in 2023-24 to address the issue.
Governance alarm bells
Quality Standard 8 - Organisational governance - has the lowest rate of compliance of all the Quality Standards for both residential aged care and home care, the report shows.
"Provider governance remains an issue of concern for the Commission," it states.
Advisory firm Pride Living has also identified governance as a key issue for home care providers from its analysis of the regulator's reporting.
Neglect increasing
Another worrying trend is increased rates of neglect in both residential aged care and home care, identified through the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS).
Neglect is the most complained about issue in home care, with 556 complaints - a 46% increase in six months.
In residential care, there were more than 3,000 reports of neglect - a 40% increase in six months.
"While some of this increase may well be related to a heightened awareness of this incident type, it could also point to shortcomings in personal and clinical care in some services," the report states.
Read the report in full here.
