Survey of Aged Care Homes – Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers about the annual Survey of Aged Care Homes, relating to accommodation payments and building activity.

In this section:

What is the Survey for?
When is the Survey due?
How is the Survey conducted?
How does the Survey contractor get my details?
What privacy safeguards are there?
When do the Survey data become available?
What if I have other questions?

What is the Survey for?

Section 63-2 of the Aged Care Act 1997 requires the Minister for Ageing to present a report to Parliament by 30 November each year about the operation of the Act for the previous financial year. The SACH gathers information on two topics that must be included in the report to Parliament:

the amounts of accommodation bonds and accommodation payments charged; and
the extent of building, upgrading and refurbishment by aged care services.

This information is only available to the Department of Health and Ageing through the survey of aged care homes.

When is the Survey due?

Responses to the survey are required by 9 September 2011.

How is the Survey conducted?

Each Approved Provider is sent the survey questionnaire (PDF 146 KB) and is responsible for ensuring that a response is provided for each aged care home it owned on 15 August 2011.

Each year, the Department of Health and Ageing contracts an independent research company to coordinate the collection and follow-up of responses from approved providers. Taverner Research has been contracted to coordinate the 2011 survey.

Responses may be submitted by reply-paid post, fax, or email to the addresses specified in the questionnaire. Approved providers (particularly those that operate more than one home) can also submit responses for their homes using an Excel version of the survey questionnaire (Excel 8295 KB) which can be completed and then be e-mailed to the survey contractor.

Information about submitting responses is provided on the questionnaire.

How does the Survey contractor get my details?

The Department of Health and Ageing provides the Survey contractor with the contact details of the Approved Provider. The contact information is treated on a strictly confidential basis consistent with the use and protection of information under the Aged Care Act 1997. The provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 also apply.

What privacy safeguards are there?

All analysis and information collected remains strictly confidential. Published results from the surveys are aggregated so that individual approved providers or aged care services cannot be identified. The Survey contractor must adhere to strict privacy guidelines that control its use of the data. Moreover, the survey information will not be used for compliance purposes in respect to any individual provider or service.

When do survey data become available?

Information obtained in the survey is included in the Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997.

What if I have other questions?

Any questions about the 2011 Survey should be directed to Taverner Research at free call
1800 212 290 or email to agedcare@taverner.com.au.
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