Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Hansard source

We might have to have another conversation about this, but I will give you the information that I have and I'm happy to have some further discussion with you in a briefing with respect to this. I will give you some information around government funded residential aged-care homes' obligations and responsibilities around record management. Under the Aged Care Act 1997 approved providers of aged care have the ability to give personal information to a person who has the power to require the production of documents or the answering of questions, such as a person who has an enduring power of attorney over the resident's care. If a person has the appropriate legal authority, they should be able to access their relative's records.

Another point that I would make in respect of this is that quite often you will have circumstances where family members other than the particular person may be seeking information. A provider may be restricted in providing information in that context. Unfortunately, sometimes complex situations within an aged-care facility then get entangled with complex family circumstances, and people get frustrated that they can't find information in relation to their direct family member's care and circumstances. It is an issue. It's an issue that came to light a couple of times during the last 12 months, where some family members weren't aware of the circumstances in relation to their direct family member but other family members were very aware of the circumstances. I understand that that becomes quite problematic from a number of perspectives.

In the context of information and public information with respect to delivery of aged-care services, it is certainly an issue that we are quite cognisant of. The royal commission has talked about a rating system for the sector, both in the context of home care and residential care, and better financial reporting. They are certainly matters that we are giving very, very close consideration to, to provide more information to users of both residential aged care and home care so that they can have better information to make decisions with respect to the care that's being provided and that they might receive, should they choose one of those options. I would be very confident that that will be one of the outcomes of the reforms that will come out of the back of the royal commission.