Compliance rates for home care services improved 8 percentage points in Q1 2024-25, yet 27% failed to comply with all 8 of the Aged Care Quality Standards.

The previous quarter, more than one-third of providers failed to comply.

According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission's Sector Performance Report for July to September 2024, home care compliance remains much lower than for residential aged care, where 18% failed to comply with the Standards.

Weak governance sector wide 

As was the case with residential aged care in Q1 and reflecting an ongoing trend for both residential and aged care, Standard 8, which relates to Governance, had the lowest compliance rate, with only 75% of home care providers complying.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM noted in the 78-page report that aged care providers should expect assessors to look for proof they have effective risk management and systems in place, and said, "We have also noted a strong association between poor governance and failure to meet other responsibilities, such as financial and workforce obligations."

Most complaints about communication and case management

Quality Standard 2, Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers, achieved the second lowest rate of compliance for home care providers.

Issues related to Quality Standard 2 was reflected in home care complaints, where communication and consultation was the most complained about issue and case management, coordination and care planning the third-most complained-about issue.

Other highlights from the report include the following:

• In the past five quarters, Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) home care notifications increased 59%. The SIRS expanded to include home care from 1 December 2022, and the increase was attributed to home care providers becoming more aware of their obligations under the scheme.
• The greatest number of reportable incidents for home care was neglect, with more than 1,000 reports in Q1 2024-25.
• The ACQSC conducted audits of providers to check it they were applying administration and care management caps correctly.
  "The audits identified several gaps in provider knowledge and understanding as well as other administrative issues ... Where we found a provider was charging people management fees above the pricing caps, we worked with the provider to make sure they refunded the overcharged amount."
  Any overcharged amounts were refunded to consumers.