Voluntary Code Of Conduct

Over 100,000 elderly Australians place into residential aged care every year. For each of those persons, as well as their loved ones, the experience of aged care placement can be stressful, emotional, time consuming, and potentially involve large sums of money. Aditionally, the potential aged care resident can be in a position of vulnerability as it relates to the decisions required around aged care placement.

For many of those placing into residential aged care, there can be a heavy reliance placed on close relatives or friends to complete the various steps in the process, and assist with decision making.

As an organisation established to facilitate informed decision making in the continuum of care, Aged Care Decisions is committed to dealing with potential aged care residents, their families, and aged care providers in a manner that is transparent, impartial and accountable.

Code of Conduct

This Code applies to all Aged Care Decisions employees, agents and partners, and requires:

• Communication with, and support of the needs of, potential aged care residents and their families is to be provided in a manner that is highly ethical, empathic, open, honest and transparent;
• A potential aged care resident and their family are advised, at the earliest available opportunity and then repeatedly throughout their interaction with Aged Care Decisions, that Aged Care Decisions will charge an aged care provider upon a placement occurring to a facility introduced by Aged Care Decisions. Such communication shall include, where relevant, the amount of any fee charged to a provider, and the circumstances in which such a fee may be charged;
• A potential aged care resident and their family are advised, at the earliest available opportunity, that Aged Care Decisions does not work with all providers in the Australian aged care marketplace, and can only directly facilitate placement with those providers who are registered with Aged Care Decisions;
• Aged Care Decisions shall not charge a potential aged care resident and their family for the aged care placement services provided by Aged Care Decisions – even if that potential aged care resident eventually places with a facility not introduced by Aged Care Decisions;
• A potential aged care resident and their family shall always be advised that they are free to place with any aged care facility, and are never restricted to the aged care facility options that are introduced by Aged Care Decisions;
• Aged Care Decisions does not, and shall not, recommend one aged care facility over another. Rather, it is the role of Aged Care Decisions to shortlist and match families to aged care facilities registered with Aged Care Decisions where a match exists based on care needs, preferences, availability and budget;
• Any placement introduction fees charged to aged care providers shall be identical across all aged care providers – regardless of size of provider, size of facility, financial capacity or profile of the aged care resident. The core terms and conditions that apply to fees charged to aged care providers shall be identical across all aged care providers.

ANDREW HENDERSON

CEO & CO FOUNDER

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