Resident Rights

Advocacy Services
Charter of Residents’ Rights and Responsibilities
Complaints
Complaint Resolution Scheme
Resident Agreements

Advocacy Services

The Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) offers a free, confidential and independent service to older people (or their representatives) who are:

Receiving community based services
Living in Commonwealth subsidised aged care facilities
Receiving community aged care packages
At risk of, or are, experiencing abuse.

ARAS provides advocacy assistance to support older people to uphold their rights and is the South Australian component of the National Aged Care Advocacy Program. The ARAS website provides more information about the range of work that ARAS undertakes, and about advocacy.

South Australia

Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc.
175 Fullarton Road
DULWICH SA 5065
Phone: (08) 8232 5377 or 1800 700 600 (freecall)
Website: www.sa.agedrights.asn.au/

Charter of Residents’ Rights and Responsibilities

Each resident of a residential care service has the right:

to full and effective use of his or her personal, civil, legal and consumer rights;
to quality care which is appropriate to his or her needs;
to full information about his or her own state of health and about available treatments;
to be treated with dignity and respect, and to live without exploitation, abuse or neglect;
to live without discrimination or victimisation, and without being obliged to feel grateful to those providing his or her care and accommodation;
to personal privacy;
to live in a safe, secure and homelike environment, and to move freely both within and outside the residential care service without undue restriction;
to be treated and accepted as an individual, and to have his or her individual preferences taken into account and treated with respect;
to continue his or her cultural and religious practices and to retain the language of his or her choice, without discrimination;
to select and maintain social and personal relationships with any other person without fear, criticism or restriction;
to freedom of speech;
to maintain his or her personal independence, which includes a recognition of personal responsibility for his or her own actions and choices, even though some actions may involve an element of risk which the resident has the right to accept, and that should then not be used to prevent or restrict those actions;
to maintain control over, and to continue making decisions about, the personal aspects of his or her daily life, financial affairs and possessions;
to be involved in the activities, associations and friendships of his or her choice, both within and outside the residential care service;
to have access to services and activities which are available generally in the community;
to be consulted on, and to choose to have input into, decisions about the living arrangements of the residential care service;
to have access to information about his or her rights, care, accommodation, and any other information which relates to him or her personally;
to complain and to take action to resolve disputes;
to have access to advocates and other avenues of redress; and
to be free from reprisal, or a well-founded fear of reprisal, in any form for taking action to enforce his or her rights.

Each resident of a residential care service has the responsibility:

to respect the rights and needs of other people within the residential care service, and to respect the needs of the residential care service community as a whole;
to respect the rights of staff and the proprietor to work in an environment which is free from harassment;
to care for his or her own health and well-being, as far as he or she is capable; and
to inform his or her medical practitioner, as far as he or she is able, about his or her relevant medical history and his or her current state of health.

Complaints

Our Vision

Feedback from our residents will be incorporated into the quality improvement system and continual improve the care and services they receive.

Our Policy Statement:

All residents have the right to complain about the care and services they receive, without fear of reprisal or redress and this right will not be reduced due to their incapacity to exercise that right through illness or frailty.

How do I make an internal complaint?

A verbal or written complaint can be forward to Management or Staff at anytime. You can also complete the form here.

If a complaint is received out of hours, care staff will try and address the complaint immediately.

Care staff will then forward this feedback to the Registered Nurse or the Complaints Diversional Therapist when they are next on duty.

Resident and their families will be provided with feedback in writing if requested and or via residents meetings.

All feedback is welcomed as it provides us with an opportunity to improve our care and services to you.

If your complaint is not resolved

On receiving a complaint the Executive Officer, Registered Nurses or Diversional Therapist will try and contact you within 48 hours.

All persons concerned will be interviewed and following appropriate action taken it is hoped a resolution will be achieved.

If your complaint is still unresolved, residents and families will be supported to use an external complaints mechanism to assist in resolving the issue.

Contact Numbers for External Complaints Mechanisms

Aged Rights Advocacy (08) 8232 5377 or 1800 700 600 (freecall)

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission 1800 951 822 (freecall)

Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 1300 362 072 (freecall)

Complaint Resolution Scheme

All Australian Government-funded residential aged care homes are required to establish their own internal complaints handling mechanism. Although using a home’s complaints process may generally be the most effective way to resolve a complaint, residents, their relatives or representatives, can also contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
The Commission focuses on resolving complaints by working with those involved to find solutions.The Commission Complaints Process:

is free and accessible;
assists residents to clarify concerns and expectations and to make effective complaints;
can deal with confidential or anonymous complaints; and
provides mediation services if needed.

For further information, contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822 or email info@agedcarequality.gov.au.
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Resident Agreements

All resdients who come to live at Aminya will be offered a Residents Agreement.

"The Aged Care Act 1997 requires a residential aged care home to offer all residents a Resident Agreement.A Resident Agreement sets out for both the resident and the management of the home what care and services are expected and will be provided.
Agreements are like a contract between the resident and the home and, as such, if you have any concerns about the content of the Agreement you should discuss this with an appropriately qualified person, eg. a solicitor, prior to signing."

Reference: The Resident Agreement