Unannounced Audit
One of the Government responses to the Oakden nursing home scandal was to make all aged care audits unannounced.
On 1 July 2018 this measure was implemented.
Previously, nursing homes underwent a re-accreditation audit towards the end of the three-year accreditation period.
The thinking behind unannounced audits is that a blitz audit doesn’t give providers time to spruce up their nursing home, put on some nice food for residents and so on.
An unannounced audit captures how a nursing home really performs. That’s the idea.
However, ARK Parramatta, ARK Russell Lea and ARK Rockdale nursing homes underwent an announced audit just before the expiry of their accreditation period. They knew it was coming and could have taken action, but didn’t.
Making audits unannounced is therefore probably not going to make all that much difference, but, then again, every bit helps.
