Australia's aged care homes continue to lift their standards according to the latest Star Ratings report.
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A year on from its introduction, Aged Care Star Ratings has revealed a significant improvement in the quality of care homes across Australia, with the number of facilities with four and five stars (good or excellent care) growing to 1,329 (54 per cent) an increase of 352 (15 per cent) since December 2022.
However, while the number of homes receiving only one or two stars has fallen, there are still 54 homes needing major improvements to their standards.
Star Ratings give a comprehensive view of an aged care home's performance helping older people, their families and carers compare like for like services. They also encourage providers to embrace a culture of continuous improvement.
Star Ratings draw 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. They have been viewed 634,592 times on the My Aged Care website's 'Find a Provider' tool during the past 12 months.
The information is reflected across four sub-category ratings: Residents' Experience, Compliance, Staffing and Quality Measures, which is then calculated as an Overall Star Rating.
"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," said Aged Care minister Anika Wells.
"Prior to Star Ratings, residential aged care providers didn't have a way to benchmark and monitor their performance or improvement over time.
Aged and Community Care Providers Association chief executive Tom Symondson said the new figures show 98 per cent of aged care homes are now rated three stars or above.
"Improved star ratings mean improved lives for older Australians and that's what providers are striving to achieve, every day of the year.
"The publication of star ratings is an important milestone for aged care sector reform in reaching greater transparency,"said Mr Symondson.
View Star Ratings through the 'Find a Provider' tool on the My Aged Care website.
