The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has delivered its final report, with 148 recommendations for overhauling Australia’s aged care system. Among these, the report calls out the need for a new system underpinned by a new Act, additional government funding, and stronger governance.
These recommendations present a vital opportunity for clients and residents to have their voices heard, but it doesn’t stop there. Customer experience leaders need to leverage this feedback in order to deliver a better quality of care for clients and residents.
Where Should You Start?
If you’re looking to get started, we’ve teamed up with the experts from UnitingCare Queensland to outline the main challenges professionals will face in light of the Aged Care Royal Commission Report, as well as some tactical solutions for improving experiences for clients, residents, and employees.
The First Step: Zone In On Client and Resident Journeys
The Aged Care Royal Commission has shown that the client and resident journey is anything but simple. In fact, it requires all clients, residents, and their informal carers to navigate My Aged Care and make sense of pretty complex information.
You need to see your business through the eyes of those who are interacting with you r brand. Without understanding what a client or residents’ end-to-end journey looks like, providers can run into three big problems: falling short of their current clients’ expectations and needs, an increase in employee churn, and difficulty attracting new clients.
In the case of aged care, clients, residents, and their families are interacting with your products, services, and brand experience. The best way to see the world from their point of view is through understanding each of their journeys.
Next Up: Consider the Point of View of Informal Carers
Clients and residents are one moving part in a bigger ecosystem. It’s just as important to understand the journey of the main carer or decision maker (often a family member) who is responsible for the client or resident.
It is estimated that in Australia in 2020, there were almost 2.8 million informal carers, made up of around 906,000 primary carers, and 1.9 million non-primary carers, many of whom are the primary decision maker around the care their loved one receives.
These informal carers have an enormous influence over the care and wellbeing of aged care clients and residents, and have their own set of unique challenges. They may live close by, may be interstate or overseas, they may have a family of their own to take care of, be full time employed or retired, or may require care of their own.
Carers can have an immense sense of guilt, stress, and worry when making critical decisions about aged care for their loved ones, particularly residential aged care. By understanding the role these carers play, and the needs they have, aged care providers can better design products and services around the family unit. This means a much more pleasant transition to aged care, and much better ongoing support for everyone.
Aged Care Royal Commission: Where to Next?
Want to learn more? There are three more challenges (and their solutions!) we’ve outlined in our latest paper. Don’t miss out on these insights that will help to navigate the new world and fundamentally change the level of care and support provided. Download the full paper here!
