The Aged Care 5 Star Rating System

How it works and how it can help you to choose an aged care home for a loved one  

A move into residential aged care is a major milestone for many seniors, and for many of us, as carers.

We all want our loved ones to be comfortable, content and well cared for. But how can we know which aged care facilities offer consistent, quality care? Let’s look at how the Aged Care Star Rating System might help:

The Aged Care Star Rating System

As part of the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Aged Care Star Rating system was introduced in December 2022.

The rating system evaluates and ranks aged care facilities based on several factors including safety, staffing and residents experience. Each facility receives an overall star rating, from one to five stars, with five stars indicating the highest quality of care.

What does the star rating system measure?

An aged care facility’s overall star rating is calculated using four categories:

Resident’s experience:

Independent survey teams interview randomly selected residents to find out how they feel about the care they are receiving. These annual surveys include 14 specific questions about perceived safety, the quality of food served, staff interactions and residents’ sense of independence, belonging, comfort and communication.

Compliance:

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission monitors each facility and reports on whether obligations to provide safe, quality care and services are consistently met. A five-star rating for compliance means the facility hasn’t received a formal warning or notice of breach during the last 3 years.

Staffing:

Every resident in an Australian aged care facility must receive a minimum of 215 minutes of direct care per day, including 44 minutes of clinical care delivered by a registered nurse. These targets are set by the Australian Government and are monitored as part of the Aged Care Star Rating System. The ‘staffing’ score is updated every three months. To get a five-star rating, the facility must consistently exceed its care minutes target.

Quality Measures:

Five areas of care quality – falls and major injuries, unplanned weight loss, pressure injuries, medication management and the use of restrictive practices – are assessed as part of a facility’s quality measures ranking.

How to find the star rating of a facility you’re considering

You can find star ratings on the My Aged Care website. Their ‘Find a Provider’ tool lets you filter aged care homes by overall star rating, or according to the four sub-categories listed above.

You can also search individual facilities or compare up to three homes at once using filters like location, cost, type of care, speciality, and culture.

What do the star ratings mean?

• 1 star indicates ‘significant improvement needed’

• 2 stars indicates ‘improvement needed’

• 3 stars indicates an ‘acceptable’ quality of care

• 4 stars indicates a ‘good’ quality of care

• 5 stars indicates an ‘excellent’ quality of care.

If a residential aged care home chooses not to participate in the collection of the Residents’ Experience Survey, and hence has no data, they will receive a 1-star Residents’ Experience rating, and this will affect their overall rating.

Why don’t all aged care facilities have a rating?

New facilities, or facilities that have new owners may not have an official star rating for their first 12 months of operation. This is because the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission needs time to assess the home, conduct resident interviews and collect all the information used to calculate the ratings.

What else should you consider when researching aged care homes?

The Aged Care Star Rating is a useful indicator of the quality standards each facility can offer your loved one. But it’s only one part of the puzzle. To continue with your research, you should also consider:

• Location, surroundings, room features and policies for visitors and pets.
• What type of care – and what level of care – your loved one needs.
• Exactly how staff deliver personal care, meals, and leisure activities to residents.
• Communication channels between residents, family members and facility management
• The financial side: daily fees, accommodation deposits and extra-cost services offered.

Rate facilities yourself with a tour or respite stay

A personal inspection will tell you a lot more about a facility than a star rating.

Most facilities are happy to take you and your loved one on a tour, so you can have a good look at the rooms, common areas and gardens, meet and speak with staff and residents, sample the food, and ask plenty of questions.

Another way to ‘try before you buy’ is to arrange for your loved one to experience a short-term respite stay at the facilities you’re considering. Eligible seniors can access up to 63 days of government subsidised residential respite care each year. Most facilities require a minimum two-week stay, which offers the perfect opportunity for your loved one to experience life in their potential new home first-hand.

Use a free aged care comparison service to do the running around for you.

The decision to move into residential aged care is a big one. We all want our loved ones to be comfortable, safe, well cared for – and above all, happy!

Aged Care Decisions offers a free (and obligation free) service that can assist you to find and compare residential aged care facilities in your area.

Once they understand exactly what you’re looking for, Aged Care Decisions will send you a customised shortlist of options that match your loved one’s specific needs. They can also organise facility tours on your behalf and put you on the right track to securing the perfect aged care home.

You can connect with them at www.agedcaredecisions.com.au or on 1300 775 870.