ACQA provides a range of benefits to members. Membership is provided at a range of levels and fees, which are based on the size of your organisation and the services to which you require access.

Membership Types

Membership to ACQA is provided at 3 different levels:

Individual Members -

Individual members are people with a direct interest in improving quality in aged care, particularly through the establishment of comprehensive quality programs and benchmarking.

Individual members are entitled to attend the networking meetings and are able to access the agendas and minutes via the ACQA website. They also get access to a control panel (example on right) on the website which enables them to better manage their experience here by setting their individual notification requirements, bookmarks, view the sitemap and change their password.

Associate Members -

Associate Members are organisations who are interested in pursuing the improvement of quality in aged care.

In addition to the benefits Individual Members receive, Associate Members are also able to share in the organisation resource area of the website. Here, organisations are able to share files, programs, forms, policies and have access to the ACQA guidelines. (See expanded menu available to them below). Associate Members are also able to advertise Upcoming Events on the ACQA Website.

Associate and Organisation Members have a more extensive Resources Menu

Organisation Members -

Organisation Members are full members of the Association. These are organisations who have made a full commitment to improving the care of residents in aged care. As well as the benefits enjoyed by Individual and Associate Members, Organisation Members participate in the Aged Care Quality Benchmarking Program. This provides them with the ability to undertake benchmarking external to their organisations, but comparing themselves to like organisations using standard data collection and interpretation methodology.

Organisations complete a rotation of 6 System Audits, 4 Quality Indicators and a Satisfaction Survey each year. Combined, they give an indication of achievement across all 44 of the Aged Care Standards.

Audits

• Client Services Audit (bi-annual)
• Clinical Care Audit (quarterly)
• Clinical Incident System Audit (bi-annual)
• Consumer Feedback Audit (annual)
• Environmental Risks Assessment Audit (quarterly)
• Information Management Audit (bi-annual)
• Leisure & Lifestyle System Audit (bi-annual)
• Medication Management Audit (quarterly)
• Privacy Audit (annual)

Indicators

• Infection Control Indicator (monthly)
• Falls Indicator (monthly)
• Medication Incident (monthly)
• Skin Integrity Indicator (monthly)
• Behaviours of Concern (monthly - under development)

Registers

• Compliments Register
• Complaints Register

Orientation and Training

Organisation Members have the option of receiving on-site training from the Network Coordinator. The session will cover areas such as understanding and using the audits, indicators and surveys, interpreting the reports and orientation to and use of the website.

Any travel, accommodation and incidental costs incurred to provide the training must be borne by the Organisation Member. Training sessions to multiple organisations is advisable to defray these associated costs.

Fees

Annual Membership fees are calculated based on your level of membership and the size of your organisation. A detailed explanation of the fees can be found here.