Complex Compliance Requirements in the Aged Care Industry

Australian aged care organisations have to comply with a wide range of government standards and regulations. These cover everything from quality and safety requirements to privacy and confidentiality.

Providers must manage risks while also respecting the agency of the client, and, of course, recording the necessary data and reports for audits. This requires not only excellent knowledge of your obligations but also a well-designed system for monitoring and reporting critical information.

While your biggest compliance concerns might relate to your clients' rights, you shouldn't overlook your responsibilities to your care providers, either. You have to comply with the SCHADS award for everything from pay rates to breaks between shifts.

Occupational health must also be a consideration in risk assessments. Don't forget that this includes both physical and mental health. If relevant, your risk assessment should also evaluate the differences in risk levels for your frontline team when providing at-home aged care versus caring for residents in aged care facilities.

How Software Can Help You Stay Compliant

Aged care software solutions can give you the ability to not only ensure compliance but also reduce your admin team's workload and deliver a higher quality of care.

Tools Custom-Built for the Australian Aged Care Sector

Aged care providers are closely regulated by the Australian government, which means international or generic software won't always have the required settings. But a software system built around the needs of Australian care organisations will provide you with the tools you need, from the ability to set SCHADS awards pay rates to secure cloud data storage in Australia.

Boosting Aged Care Quality Standards

The right software will help you meet aged care quality standards. It will provide your team with the tools they need to deliver a higher quality of care, such as secure on-shift access to client care plans.

Plus, client matching and rigorous rostering tools will ensure you always assign the best team member for the client's care needs.

Workforce Management Simplified

For aged care providers, workforce management can be complex. Technology, however, simplifies it. Aged care software will allow you to check staff right-to-work evidence, certifications, vaccinations and more, as well as setting document expiry dates and alerts.

Team members can also set their availability and preferred shifts in-app, with the system automatically updating to create draft schedules. Plus, you can send notifications and follow up messages to multiple staff members at a time. 

Protecting Privacy and Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality in the aged care industry is essential. You must ensure the secure storage of client information at all times. Additionally, only appropriate members of your team can have access to it.

Aged care software is set up for this, so you don't have to worry about whether your systems are providing the correct access to client information. By keeping everything on one platform, you won't accidentally cc the wrong person on an email with client data, or forget to remove document access for a team member who quit last week.

A Reporting System That Runs Like Clockwork

Software systems can make reporting more reliable, useful and secure. Templates will help your team include all the relevant information in reports. Plus, mobile technology means they can fill them out on shift, while the information is fresh in their minds.

Whether it's a progress note or an incident report, you can ensure that reports are both correctly filed and stored, so that you can access them in the case of an incident investigation or audit.

Audit Preparation Made Easy

With all your documentation on one single platform, software will help you stay audit-ready. You'll be able to provide proof of staff certifications and right to work, service delivery records and client documentation with the click of a button, along with risk and needs assessments, client safety protocols and internal audits.

You can also upload proof of expenses and integrate your aged care management software with your accounting and payroll data for better reporting and evidence of compliance.

A Risk Management Solution

Risk management is a huge concern for the aged care industry. Software can support you, and not just by tracking worker documentation and storing evidence of your risk assessments. It will also help you reduce the likelihood of human error.

From typos to poor handwriting or clicking on the wrong button, human error can easily result in the wrong service being provided, the wrong staff member being assigned or the wrong information being shared. But software can automate many of these processes, while intuitive drag-and-drop platforms reduce the likelihood of mistakes.

Software That Takes the Stress Out of Compliance

Many providers in the aged care industry find compliance intimidating. Relying on manual processes is time-consuming and leads to a greater likelihood of oversights, reporting errors or even a data breach.

Fortunately, technology can streamline processes and make complying with Australian law easy. Plus, it offers additional business benefits.

ShiftCare's aged care software will help you not only ensure compliance but also keep your team happy and provide an excellent quality of care. It has rigorous reporting, rostering and funds tracking features that will save you hours of time while giving you additional control over your organisation’s operations.

It also comes with a companion app for your caregivers and a portal for your clients' friends and family members. And, it has a 96% positive customer support rating from disability and aged care organisations across Australia.

To discover how the right software system can make compliance easy, try ShiftCare for free.