Care Statements are an important part of residential aged care in Australia. They are monthly reports provided to residents or their representatives to explain the care and services received. According to the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, these statements aim to improve transparency and ensure residents and families understand the support provided.
Through Acredia’s platform, aged care homes can prepare and send Care Statements that cover key areas such as:
- Meaningful engagement and purposeful participation: activities, emotional support, and connection with family and friends
- Diet and nutrition: weight, assistance with meals, and prescribed diet
- Mobility and fall risk
- Vaccination records
- Advance care directive
- Medications
- Skin and pressure injuries
- Authorised restrictive practices
- Incidents, hospital visits, and appointments
These reports make it easier for residents, families, and providers to have a shared understanding of care needs and changes over time.
What’s New in Acredia Care Statements
Acredia has released several updates to its Care Statement feature, making the process more flexible for providers and more informative for residents and families.
- Delivery Options and Scheduling. Care Statement delivery can now be set at the facility or resident level. Providers can choose when statements are sent and ensure they go to residents with registered contacts. This means no delays and consistent communication each month.
- Other Vaccination Records. In addition to COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, Care Statements can now include all other vaccines a resident has received. This helps families stay informed and makes it easier for providers to keep complete records.
- Referral Review. The update includes a section for referral details, so information about external healthcare referrals is clearly recorded and visible in the Care Statement. This ensures families know when additional specialist care is involved.
- Medication Changes from Progress Notes. Medication updates are now displayed directly in the Care Statement, showing changes captured in Progress Notes. This provides an accurate and timely record for residents and families.
- Family App Access with Permissions. The Acredia Family App connects Residents with their loved ones, providing real-time updates to activities and reports. With permission controls, families can now view Care Statements through the Family App. Providers can decide who can see these reports, helping to protect privacy while improving access for approved contacts.
Why These Changes Matter
For aged care providers, these updates reduce the need for manual follow-ups and give a single source of truth for resident care information. For aged care staff, they help maintain accurate and complete records without extra duplication.
For residents and their families, the improvements mean:
- Clearer updates on health, activities, and care changes
- Better awareness of medication adjustments and vaccinations
- Secure and direct access to information through the Family App
Practical Example
Consider a resident with multiple health conditions and regular medication adjustments. Before, families might only learn of these changes during visits or phone calls. Now, with medication changes shown in the Care Statement and available in the Family App, families can see updates as part of the monthly report, making conversations with staff more informed.
Similarly, a new vaccination, such as a shingles booster, can be recorded and visible in the same place, avoiding confusion over whether it was completed.
More Resources for Providers
If you’d like to learn more about how Care Statements work in aged care, the Department of Health and Aged Care has a full overview here.
For existing Acredia clients, you can explore more features visiting our Quick Guides available through your account and our Resources page.
