Why the order matters
Almost every family makes the same mistake: they complain verbally, repeatedly, to whoever is on shift, and wonder why nothing changes. Or they go straight to the top and lose the chance to fix the problem where it could have been fixed in a week.
What moves things is written, dated and specific — and escalated in the right order. Australia also gives families two levers most never use.
Step 1: in writing, to the facility manager
Not "Mum is not being looked after properly", but:
- Date, time, specific incident. "On the 14th at 8am the pad had not been changed since the night shift." One line per incident.
- What you want done, specific and checkable — not "more attention", but "a documented two-hourly check written into the care plan".
- When you expect a response, and a request that it comes in writing.
Send it by email so it is timestamped. Every approved provider is required to have a complaints process, and asking for it in writing puts your complaint inside it rather than beside it.
Then ask for a care plan review meeting and ask for the updated plan in writing afterwards. The care plan is the document that binds the shift that has never met you.
Step 2: above the facility — the approved provider
If nothing changes, go to the organisation that holds the approval, not just the building. A facility manager can wait a problem out; a provider with a written complaint on file usually cannot, because it is exactly what the regulator asks to see.
The free help nobody tells you about: advocacy
This is the lever Australian families most often miss. There is a national network of free, independent aged care advocates — the Older Persons Advocacy Network — funded to support older people and their families, and independent of both the provider and the government.
They will help you word the complaint, come to meetings with you, and explain what the provider is actually obliged to do. It costs nothing, and having an advocate in the room changes the tone of a meeting more than any letter you can write alone.
Step 3: the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
The Commission handles complaints about any Australian Government-funded aged care and regulates providers against the quality standards. Three things families do not know:
- You can complain anonymously or confidentially. If you are worried about consequences for your mother, say so when you lodge it and choose that option.
- You do not need to have exhausted the provider first. Going to the provider first is usually faster, but it is not a precondition.
- Report patterns, not one bad day. "Three times in a fortnight there was one staff member on the wing overnight" carries far more weight than a single incident.
The question providers cannot brush off
Approved providers must report serious incidents to the Commission under the Serious Incident Response Scheme — including unreasonable use of force, neglect, sexual misconduct, psychological or emotional abuse, unexpected death, stealing or coercion, and unexplained absence from care.
So when something serious has happened, the question is not "what are you going to do about it". It is:
"Has this been reported under SIRS, on what date, and can you confirm that in writing?"
That single question tells you immediately whether the incident is being managed or minimised — and it is a question with a paper trail behind it.
Restrictive practices: consent is not optional
Bed rails, belts, locked doors, or a medication used to influence behaviour are restrictive practices, and they are tightly regulated. They must be a last resort, documented in a behaviour support plan, and used with the informed consent of the person or their substitute decision-maker.
If you see one and were never asked, ask to see the behaviour support plan and who gave consent. That conversation usually ends the practice faster than a complaint does.
Before you choose, and before you move
Star ratings on My Aged Care include staffing and compliance, and a home carrying a compliance notice will show it. Ratings are a filter, not a verdict — but a home whose staffing rating sits at the bottom while telling you staffing is fine has just told you something.
If it is about safety right now
Where there is a suspicion of assault, serious neglect or theft, do not walk up the ladder. Photograph and date what you can, get an independent medical opinion from outside the home, and contact the police. Notify the Commission in parallel.
The fear of payback
It is the main reason families stay quiet, and it is mostly unfounded. A documented complaint trail tends to protect a resident rather than expose them: a home that knows a family writes things down and knows who the regulator is rarely treats that resident worse. If you are still worried, complain confidentially, or let an advocate speak for you.
If you decide to move instead
Sometimes the honest answer is that this home will not change. If so: secure the new place first, then give notice — the notice period is in the agreement, and moving without a destination is the worst outcome of all. Ask also how the refundable deposit and any fees are handled on departure, in writing, before you commit.
If you need to build that shortlist, Curalune Care Help gives you the starting point: 3 to 5 suitable homes matched to the real situation within 24 working hours, with contact details, links and a ready-to-send message to all of them at once. A$109, one-off. Start here
Regulator names, reporting obligations, quality standards, star rating methodology and complaint pathways are set by Australian Government legislation and are revised regularly; notice periods, fees and refund arrangements are set in each resident agreement. Free help is available from an aged care advocate and from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission — and keep everything in writing. This article is general information and is not legal or medical advice. Curalune does not allocate places and does not guarantee availability.