There are ‘talks’ happening in Australia around the rating of nursing homes by some service providers. As I think about this, it seems to me the rating needs to be done by consumers, and not by the RACF’s or other professional organisations, and I’ve been thinking someone should set up a website similar to Trip Advisor for consumers to rate and comment on their experience. It might have a section for family members or guardians of someone in residential care, and a section for the people living in residential aged care. Dementia care would have to be rated too. Maybe it also needs to be set up into pages for each state in Australia too.
Setting up a Residential Aged Care Facility Rater where consumers review individual sites might be the only way to get facilities who barely pass Accreditation reviews to actually lift their care for more than the day of the site review. I have experienced visiting and working in many sites that at brilliant, where the staff are passionate about the welfare and lives of their residents, but I have also experienced the opposite to that, and an unwillingness to take complaints seriously and make changes. Let me know your thoughts, and if you think this is a good idea or not; any suggestions or ideas would be welcome.
I think this is a great idea. Over here in the UK there have been so many scandals around terrible care in care homes in the news lately that I think this should be a priority over here and all around the world.
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Lts of advice needed, including legal on this idea. No idea yet how to vet for authenticity of responses, how to stop possible abusiveness, etc. Your (or anyones) ideas would be welcome!!
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Such a website certainly would need to ensure that care homes managers didn’t fake any good reviews for a start. But at the same time many residents and families might want to give their review anonymously. So definitely not a straight forward idea.
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wow, such a profound comment… it is definitely NOT a straight forward idea!!!
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I remain unconvinced that Accreditation is a true and relative reflection of a facility. The parameters fail to reflect any sense of well being and dare I say happiness.
Any grading system should include the input of direct care staff, family members and volunteers. Assessment should be from the client’s focus. It doesn’t have to be a resort to make residents happy.
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The first point I agree with, as Accreditation does not take into account real resident well-being.
I’m not so sure about the grading system being done by staff and volunteers though, as it would be too easy for ‘bad’ managers or owners to pressure their staff to say positive things… I can feel a lot more thinking on this particular point though, so thanks for bringing it up!!
And no, it doesn’t have to be like a resort, but it does have to feel like a person’s HOME, which most facilities don’t as they are so institutionalised.
Surely though, happiness, well-being and contentment should be front and centre to the residents experience??
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I agree Kate – it’s got to be independent so by the consumers.
I can’t believe that something like this doesn’t already exist!!!!! wow……..
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I hadn’t thought of that… it is amazing it doesn’t already exist!!
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Great idea Kate. Hopefully consumers would have high expectations about what they might expect from a residential facility. For example, good food and a choice about what time to get up and what time the shower are often considered quite progressive, but is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what a quality service should look like.
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You are absolutely right Jane… And a site like this would definitely expose the iceberg!
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Just a brilliant idea.
It will surely ackowledge the good some faciliaties not only offer but do indeed provide, whilst exposing the less caring. We can always look our best if we know we are going to receive visitors and these less than reputable “care” centres obviously do the same, Our elderly and infirm definitely deserve to spend their later years in some degree of comfort and if a rating system like that would help then go for it.
Thinking outside the box can open any different trains of thought.
Well done.
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Thanks for the encouragement George… it will take time, money and energy, of which I am often lacking in all 3!! However, where there is a will, there is always a way, as long as one is prepared to keep looking for it. Cheers 🙂
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I think this is a great idea. No self regulation ever works. It’s in the self interest of the self regulated to make sure that they never look as bad as they are just look at News Corp and what they have done in the UK tapping people’s phones. If the government really believes in self regulation maybe they can let people self regulate their speeding and parking fines, so every time people speed or park for to long we will volunteer to pay the fine.
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Hmmm, not so sure the parking fine self regulation would work, especially for our sons (!!), but generally self regulation is completely unrealistic as who isn’t going to say they are doing a good job??!!!!
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