Every person has the right to freedom and respect and the right to be treated fairly by others. A person’s rights do not diminish when he or she moves into a residential services regardless of their physical or mental frailty or ability to exercise or fully appreciate their rights.
A positive, supportive and caring attitude by family, friends, residential aged care providers and staff, carers and the community will help people who live in residential aged care to continue as integral, respected and valued members of society.
Australian society has a strong commitment to social justice principles. Those principles recognise the aspirations of all Australians to a dignified and secure way of life with equal access to health care, housing and education, and equal rights in civil, legal and consumer matters. They form the basis of a society, which is free of prejudice and is caring, just and humane.
This Charter affirms those social justice principles.
The personal, civil, legal and consumer rights of each resident are not diminished in any way when he or she moves into a residential services
The Charter also recognises that residents of residential aged care have the responsibility to ensure that the exercising of their individual rights does not affect others’ individual rights, including those providing care. The Charter recognises that residents have specific rights and responsibilities which balance the needs of the individual against the needs of the residential aged care as a whole.
This resource is available for care recipients in residential care, outlining their rights and responsibilities within a residential care facility. Translated versions of the Charter are also available via the Australian Government Department of Health – Ageing and Aged Care
