title: Australian approaches to resident classification and quality assurance in residential care.
abstract: This paper begins with an account of the structure of Australia's residential long-term care program, which was divided into two distinct levels of hostel and nursing home care until 1997. In response to changed policy objectives, a number of measures were then taken to create an integrated residential care system. The main measures were the development of a single scale for classification of resident care need and associated funding to replace two previous separate scales, and the implementation of a new quality assurance system, which included new standards for buildings as well as revised standards for care. I give accounts of these measures and the extent to which they have achieved their intended outcomes before proposing some further developments that could see closer links among pre-admission assessment, resident classification, and quality assurance.
authors.affiliation: Applied Aged Care Solutions Pty Ltd., 14 Nathan Rd., Eltham, 3095, Melbourne, Australia. Richard.Rosewarne@AgedCareSolutions.com
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rosewarne
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000592:standards*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000639:trends; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000592:standards; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*