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Incorporating the voice of the consumer in quality measurement can not only enhance the standard of care provided, it can also position your organisation as a leader in care excellence.
In modern aged care, quality is no longer just a box-ticking exercise, but a key driver of business success. Research indicates customers are willing to pay up to 10% more in almost every industry if they know they’ll receive excellent service.
Although they’re important, traditional clinical quality measurements, such as falls, pressure injuries, or medication management only paint part of the picture. The findings from the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety have highlighted the need to listen to the voices that matter the most—those of residents and clients. It’s only by doing this that we can get a true sense of the experience and start to make meaningful improvements.
Prioritising consumer voices in quality standards
For many aged care providers, compliance with the Royal Commission’s recommendations feels like a time-consuming burden. And we know that you’d rather be focusing on doing great work rather than ticking boxes. But it’s one of those things that has to be done. The key is gathering the right information that is going to satisfy the Commission’s requirements.
According to the Commission, “The most valuable feedback on the quality and safety of care comes from people receiving aged care and their families and advocates”. They make a number of recommendations to give greater weight to the voice of people receiving aged care, including conducting interviews with at least 20% of people receiving care at a service, and establishing channels to allow people to report their experiences.
As part of Standard 2, organisations are required to undertake ongoing assessment and planning with consumers.
“The organisation undertakes initial and ongoing assessment and planning for care and services in partnership with the consumer. Assessment and planning has a focus on optimising health and wellbeing in accordance with the consumer’s needs, goals and preferences.”
This means aged care providers have to show they’re including consumers in their planning and policy decisions—taking into account their needs, goals and preferences. It’s important to show you’re proactively asking for feedback in these areas, not just reacting to incidents or complaints.
Facilities are also obliged to make regular contact with family or key contacts, and keep records of this contact.
Beyond compliance: the business value of consumer feedback
Incorporating consumer feedback into quality measurement isn’t just about meeting compliance requirements. It has real, tangible business benefits for aged care providers.
A pivotal finding of the Royal Commission was the public’s expectation for aged care services. People sought dignity, respect, and importantly, control and choice. These core values underpin the necessity for a consumer-centred approach. When we truly listen to our residents and clients, we not only validate their experiences, but also foster a sense of acceptance and empowerment. And this emotional wellbeing contributes to happier, more content residents, which can positively impact the entire facility.
This sets the stage for a facility renowned for excellence in care. Families seeking care for their loved ones will inevitably be drawn to a provider known for respecting and prioritising their residents’ voices.
Consumer feedback is also a powerful tool for validating operational decisions. It enables providers to move beyond acting on hunches or anecdotal evidence, and instead base their strategies on solid, reliable data.
Leveraging consumer feedback allows aged care providers to shift from being reactive to proactive. Rather than merely addressing issues as they arise or engaging in damage control, providers can use feedback to anticipate and prevent problems, building a stronger, more resilient organisation.
Taking the pulse of the aged care experience
There are many ways you can capture feedback from people in an aged care setting. It’s a good idea to use both qualitative and quantitative measures to paint a holistic picture of the care experience.
- Comment boxes: Residents fill out paper forms with their feedback and place them in a designated box for collection.
- Direct email surveys: An electronic survey is emailed to residents, clients or their family members, asking for feedback on the quality of care received.
- Touchscreen feedback: Using an interactive digital screen, individuals share their satisfaction level by selecting an appropriate emoji.
- QR code surveys: Scanning a unique QR code opens up a mobile-friendly survey for the user, enabling quick and easy feedback.
- Phone calls: A member of the care team (or a third-party provider) calls residents, clients or family to discuss their experiences.
- Face-to-face meetings: In-person conversations are scheduled with those in care or their families.
The method you choose depends on the resources you have and the level of technical competence of your residents and clients. Each approach has its strengths and applicability, so it’s important to tailor your method according to your unique setting and the needs of those in your care.
How you ask for feedback matters
While many aged care providers are making efforts to capture feedback, it’s often passive or ad-hoc efforts such as paper forms and complaint boxes.
This approach (while low-effort) not only gets poor uptake, but might be unwittingly attracting more negative feedback.
Because of our inherent human negativity bias, people are more likely to focus on negatives and take action on these (like filling in a complaint form). Rarely will they take the time to call out exceptional service, meaning you might miss out on capturing positive feedback.
Face-to-face meetings to ask for feedback are ideal but logistically tricky and expensive to administer. In our experience, phone calls are the happy medium between the two approaches.
We generally see a higher participation rate with phone-based feedback, given it’s a relatively low-tech, low-effort option. A phone call can also double as a social connection call and serve as an opportunity to deliver important information. Having regular contact from the organisation can help residents and clients feel heard and that their input is important, which can have a positive impact on regard for the organisation.
By proactively contacting people, you’re more likely to get a more balanced view of feedback (not just listening to the loudest voice in the room—usually a negative one!). And if positive feedback isn’t volunteered, the caller has an opportunity to ask follow-up questions to draw this out.
The logistics of feedback and quality measurement
If you’re committed to creating a consumer-centric feedback program, it’s important to have a dedicated resource to manage it. Often organisations will put someone from their administration or marketing/communications team in charge.
If you don’t have the resources internally to handle this, consider outsourcing to a trusted partner. Look for an Australian-based team that has experience speaking with aged care residents and clients. It’s crucial that anyone you get on board can quickly build rapport with your residents and clients, and can communicate compassionately.
Outsourcing to a third party also provides a healthy level of independence, allowing people to be honest and open with their feedback without fear of it affecting the quality of care they will receive. A team of skilled phone consultants can reassure people that their feedback is valuable and valid, and guide them through the process. It can also provide a level of confidentiality—because information is passed directly to management, members of staff aren’t privy to negative feedback about a coworker.
Aged care providers who put people at the heart of quality measurements do more than just meet industry standards—they set new ones. They cultivate an environment of excellence, driven by the voices of those they serve. Ultimately, prioritising people isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart business strategy.
To find out how True Potential Care can support your organisation in its quality measurement journey, book a free consultation. Let’s work together to put the voices of your residents and clients at the centre of your care.
