A year on from its introduction, Aged Care Star Ratings has revealed a significant improvement in the quality of aged care homes across Australia.
Within 12 months, the number of aged care homes with 4 and 5 stars has substantially improved. 1,329 homes (54 per cent) are now delivering good or excellent care (4 and 5 stars) which is an increase of 352 since December 2022. That’s a 15 per cent improvement.
Aged care homes that need improvement have decreased. 54 homes or 2 per cent are now receiving 1 and 2 stars, which is a decrease of 152 since this time last year.
Offering access to previously unavailable data, Star Ratings gives a comprehensive view of aged care home performance. It helps older people, their families and carers compare like for like services and encourages providers to embrace a culture of continuous improvement.
The first year of Star Ratings shows the amount of time from nurses and care workers older people are receiving is increasing, meaning better care for older Australians. 12 per cent more aged care homes are now achieving acceptable levels of care.
These improvements mark a promising shift for aged care and reflect a growing commitment to continuous improvement.
Older people, their families and carers are using Star Ratings to make informed choices. In the past 12 months, Star Ratings has been viewed 634,592 times on the My Aged Care website’s ‘Find a Provider’ tool.
Star Ratings draws on data from Residents’ Experience Survey results, regulatory decisions of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Care Minutes and the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program.
Bringing this data together via a complex algorithm, Star Ratings paints the full picture of an aged care home’s quality and benchmarks what quality care looks like. This information is reflected in an easy-to-follow format across 4 sub-category ratings: Residents’ Experience, Compliance, Staffing and Quality Measures, which is then calculated as an Overall Star Rating.
View Star Ratings through the ‘Find a Provider’ tool on the My Aged Care website.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells:
“One year on and Star Ratings data shows that the Albanese Government is delivering its promise to lift the standard of aged care in Australia.
“The biggest improvement reflected in Star Ratings over the past year is the experience of residents. Residents are reporting the quality of care they are receiving is getting better, with 95 per cent of aged care homes now delivering acceptable, good or excellent care.
“Prior to Star Ratings, residential aged care providers didn’t have a way to benchmark and monitor their performance or improvement over time. Now they do and it’s proving valuable for their management teams.”
