The Royal Commission into Aged Care has published a report that calls for greater staff training for people that work in aged care settings so that they can provide quality and safe services that improve quality of life and promote human rights. 

This year, the aged care system has been under intense scrutiny and pressure, with failures in care being brought to the fore during the pandemic.

The report outlines 10 shared principles that aim to help overcome these problems and ensure older Australians get support when and where they need it, whilst being treated with dignity and respect, by an appropriately trained workforce.

The principles include: 

1. A better Aged Care Act
2. A simple system where care is guaranteed within 30 days
3. Full transparency and easy to understand indicators to help inform consumer choice
4. A trained, registered and qualified workforce
5. Proper recognition and support for the role of unpaid family/friend carers
6. Easy to understand information and local solutions
7. A strongly resourced regulator that takes robust action to ensure consumer protections
8. Services that are inclusive, culturally safe and sensitive
9. A funding model that ensures sufficient taxpayer funding, control by consumers over their funding, independent pricing and transparency in how funds are spent
10. Better integration of other health and wellbeing services with aged care
11. Dementia Australia said that it welcomed the report but called for mandatory dementia training to be carried out by everyone working in aged care or the health sector to ensure the quality of care

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