Aged Care Consumer Rights & Responsibilities

As a user of CatholicCare Community Care Services, you have a number of rights.

General

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • to be treated and accepted as an individual, and to have the client’s individual preferences respected
  • to be treated with dignity, with the client’s privacy respected
  • to receive care that is respectful of the client, and their family and home
  • to receive care without being obliged to feel grateful to those providing the care
  • to have full and effective use of all human, legal and consumer rights, including the right to freedom of speech regarding the client’s care
  • to have access to advocates and other avenues of redress
    to be treated without exploitation, abuse, discrimination, harassment or neglect.

Consumer Directed Care – choice and flexibility

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • to be supported by the approved provider:
    • to set goals in relation to the outcomes the client seeks from home care
    • to determine the level of ongoing involvement and control that the client wishes to have in the provision of the home care
    • to make decisions relating to the client’s own care
    • to maintain the client’s independence as far as possible
  • to choose the care and services that best meet the client’s goals and assessed needs and preferences, within the limits of the resources available
  • to have choice and flexibility in the way the care and services are provided at home
  • to participate in making decisions that affect the client
  • to have the client’s representative participate in decisions relating to their care if they request it or if they do not have capacity.
  • Have the client’s representative participate in decisions relating to their care if they do not have the capacity.

Consumer Directed Care – care and services

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • to receive reliable, coordinated, safe, quality care and services which are appropriate to meeting the client’s goals and assessed needs
  • to be given before, or within 14 days after, the client commences receiving home care, a written plan of the care and services that the client expects to receive
  • to receive care and services that take account of the client’s other care arrangements and preferences
  • to ongoing review of the care and services the client receives (both periodic and in response to changes in their personal circumstances), and modification of the care and services as required

Consumer Directed Care – individualised budget and monthly statement of available funds and expenditure

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • to receive an individualised budget for the care and services to be provided
  • to have their individualised budget reviewed and, if necessary, revised if:
    • the care and services to be provided, or the costs of providing the care and services, change; or
    • the client requests the approved provider to review and, if necessary, revise the individualised budget
  • to receive a monthly statement of the funds available and the expenditure in respect of the care and services provided during the month.

Personal information

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • Be given information on how to make comments to privacy and confidentiality of their personal information
  • to access their personal information.

Communication

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • to be helped to understand any information they are given
  • to be given a copy of this Charter
  • to be offered a written agreement that includes all agreed matters
  • to choose a person to speak on their behalf for any purpose.

Comments and complaints

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • to be given information on how to make comments and complaints about the care and services the client receives
  • to complain about the care and services the client receives, without fear of losing the care or being disadvantaged in any other way
  • to have complaints investigated fairly and confidentially, and to have appropriate steps taken to resolve issues of concern

Fees

Each care recipient has the following rights:

  • to have their fees determined in a way that is transparent, accessible and fair
  • to receive invoices that are clear and in a format that is understandable
  • to have their fees reviewed periodically and on request when there are changes to their financial circumstances
  • not to be denied care and services because of their inability to pay a fee for reasons beyond his or her control.

Your Responsibilities

As an Aged Care recipient you have a number of responsibilities.

General

Each care recipient has the following responsibilities:

  • to respect the rights of care workers to their human, legal and workplace rights including the right to work in a safe environment
  • to treat care workers without exploitation, abuse, discrimination or harassment.

Care and Services

Each care recipient has the following responsibilities:

  • to abide by the terms of the written home care agreement
  • to acknowledge that the client’s needs may change and to negotiate modifications of care and service if their care needs change
  • to accept responsibility for their own actions and choices even though some actions and choices may involve an element of risk.

Communication

Each care recipient has the following responsibilities:

  • to give enough information to assist the approved provider to develop, deliver and review a care plan
  • to tell the approved provider and their staff about any problems with the care and services.

Access

Each care recipient has the following responsibilities:

  • to allow safe and reasonable access for care workers at the times specified in their care plan or otherwise by agreement
  • to provide reasonable notice if they do not require home care to be provided on a particular day.

Fees

Each care recipient has the responsibility to pay any fees as specified in the agreement or to negotiate an alternative arrangement with the provider if any changes occur in the client’s financial circumstances.

Help Lines

For information on Aged Care and the Department of Social Services Charter of Rights and Responsibilities, call the My Aged Care phone line 1800 200 422.
This line is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm, and Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

Trained staff can provide information on:

  • Aged care services
  • The My Aged Care website
  • Referrals to assessment services

Get Started Now

Get started now by phone:

Click to call | Call: 1300 523 985 | or

Online Enquiry

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