Quality Ratings for Aged Care
- What you need to know

Stephanie Buckland, Chief Executive Officer

In 2021 the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety published its final recommendations with a goal of creating a better standard of care for older Australians. This is something we all want, especially at Amana Living where our vision is to create a community where every older person is honoured and valued.

Informed by the Royal Commission’s recommendations, the Federal Government has introduced several reforms with the latest being the introduction of star ratings for all residential aged care centres. At the end of December 2022, every residential aged care centre received a star rating between one and five. A one-star rating indicates there is ‘significant improvement needed’ while five stars signals an ‘excellent quality of care’ according to the Government.

Aged care star ratings are more complex than other consumer ratings you may be familiar with, such as a hotel or taxi rating. The overall star rating is calculated based on the performance of the care centre in four areas including residents’ experience, compliance with government regulations, staffing levels, and quality measures like falls and medication management.

At Amana Living, eight of our care centres received a 3 star-rating and five care centres received a 4-star rating. These results are consistent with the rest of the country and it shows we are providing the care and support we are funded to deliver by the Government.

Whilst there are opportunities for improvement, we are proud of the care we deliver, and the hard work and dedication of all our staff.

Star ratings are not fixed, and the overall star rating automatically recalculates when new data becomes available. This means you may see star ratings change over time, and we expect our star ratings to improve in line with our focus on providing residents what they need to maintain their individuality and enjoy a fulfilling life.

It’s important for residents and their families to have access to more information about aged care quality in Australia, and we welcome the Government’s continued focus on improved aged care standards in this country.

Ultimately, the best measure of quality is your own experience, and we encourage you to speak to your aged care provider if you have any questions or concerns about the care provided to you or a loved one.