Falls Prevention and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards

The Australian aged care sector is undergoing a major transformation. Monumental Aged Care reforms, including a consumer-driven Aged Care Act and stricter Quality Standards, are setting the stage for a new era of accountability.

These changes place a significant onus on aged care providers to demonstrate safe, person-centred care.

In this article, we discuss fall prevention and harm minimisation under the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, particularly Outcome 5.5: Clinical Safety. We also explore how MePACS monitored personal alarms can reduce harm from falls and help aged care providers to meet their care obligations.

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Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards: Clinical Care

The Aged Care Quality Standards are being strengthened as part of the new Aged Care Act.

The strengthened standards aim to improve outcomes for older people and set clear expectations for providers in delivering quality aged care.

The new standards will come into effect on July 1, 2025, alongside the commencement of the new Act.

The 7 Strengthened Quality Standards are:

• The Person: Focuses on the individual's dignity, choice, and independence.
• The Organisation: Outlines the expectations of providers to meet the set benchmarks.
• The Care and Services: Describes how care should be delivered, including assessment, planning, and coordination.
• The Environment: Ensures the physical environment is clean, safe, and meets the needs of the individual.
• Clinical Care: Emphasises the responsibility of providers to deliver safe and quality clinical care.
• Food and Nutrition: Focuses on ensuring that older people in residential care receive enjoyable, nutritious food and fluids that meet their preferences and needs.
• The Residential Community: Focuses on creating a welcoming, homelike, and safe community within residential care.

Standard 5 of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards relates to Clinical Care. The aim of Standard 5 is to ensure a nationally consistent, high-quality, and safe level of clinical care for older people receiving Commonwealth-subsidised aged care services. A strong focus is placed on protecting seniors from harm and improving care delivery.

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Falls Prevention and the Clinical Care - Outcome 5.5: Clinical Safety

Standard 5: Clinical Care - Outcome 5.5: Clinical Safety under the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (Action 5.5.4 - Falls and mobility) requires aged care providers to establish processes for reducing falls and harm from falls.

The standard emphasises that providers maximise mobility to prevent functional decline, deliver effective and timely post-fall care, monitor falls and injuries and review the reason for and consequences from falls.

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MePACS Personal Alarms and Clinical Safety

At MePACS, we are dedicated to keeping seniors safe.

Empowering older Australians with a MePACS monitored personal alarm with fall detection is one key action that aged care providers can take to demonstrate Standard 5.5 compliance and to enhance care outcomes.  

Lying on the floor for a long time after a fall, such as an hour, can lead to serious injuries, hospitalisation and premature placement in long-term residential care. Personal alarms, when used correctly, have been shown to be an effective strategy to reduce the risks associated with a “long lie” after a fall and to obtain immediate assistance.

According to research, the MePACS emergency response service helped reduce ambulance attendance by approximately 35 percent.

Extensive research has also indicated that the use of MePACS monitored personal alarms gives seniors the confidence to live independently for longer, therefore promoting safe mobility.

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Learn More

Are you an aged care provider and interested in learning more about how MePACS monitored personal alarms can help you with Standard 5.5 compliance?

Book a complimentary Product Education Session to explore our range of fall detection alarms and discover how we can help you meet your care obligations.