Wednesday, 27 January 2010 12:28 |
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The much publicised My School web site goes online today. Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, states that, for the first time, parents across Australia will be able to get accurate information about how their child’s school is performing. The results of each school’s performance in the National Assessment Program tests are published online for all to see. Colour coding shows at a glance whether the school is performing above or below similar schools and how it compares to the national average... The deputy Prime Minister is adamant that the publishing of testing results and other data will go ahead – in spite of the protests of teacher unions and some principals. She says that parents deserve this increased transparency and that the web site is a critical part of the 'education revolution', providing accurate and comprehensive information. Accurate and comprehensive information? Just what families considering nursing home care want. And can’t get! Imagine if it was truly possible to compare one aged-care home with another or check out the staff/resident ratios at the local nursing home. Or if you could see the menus provided at every home. Many people would also like easy access to the reports resulting from all accreditation visits, including unannounced visits and checks made after a complaint about a home has been received. Talking about complaints… people might wonder about the nature of complaints made about a particular home and just how those complaints have been resolved. Maybe a prospective resident might wish to know some financial information about a prospective aged-care home – such as to how the government subsidy is being spent. And given the increasing reliance on the private sector, it might be useful to know the level of profits made by the corporations now operating aged-care homes. But we shouldn't be holding our breath thinking that a 'My Nursing Home' website will hit cyber space any time soon. The Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, cannot even stand up to aged-care providers about mandated staff/resident ratios let alone insist on 'league tables' for nursing homes. Newer articles:
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Oh YES please. Bring on a "My Nursing Home" that details all complaints, all results, all menu, all falls, all infections, all staffing, everything.
I would rate the ACF my Mum had to endure for 2 weeks with a 0/10.
Absolutely diabolical even though they looked good on the outside and promised the world on the inside. And never delivered any of it.
WOW - I've been thinking this very thing myself. YES - it would be absolutely marvellous (all the lack of transparency gives me the absolute irrates). Amazing what our Government bodies can do if they have a motive & put there minds to it.
Maybe the reason 'aged care' matters aren't important enough is because most residents in facilities probably no longer vote. However what our ministers/fly by nighters seem to forget is that these residents also have families/friends/carers that will eventually boot them out of office.