AGEING residents of Queensland nursing homes will have better care under new proposed laws currently before state Parliament.
The new bill will enforce minimum nurse staffing levels in public nursing homes including that 30 per cent of care staff are registered nurses. Public residential aged care facilities must also provide a minimum average of 3.65 hours of nursing and personal care to residents daily.
The rules will not be compulsory for private aged care facilities.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles said the Health Transparency Bill would enable elderly residents and their families to make informed decisions when choosing a service.
"This is about making sure our parents, and grandparents, and loved ones are treated with respect, dignity, and appropriate levels of care," Mr Miles told state parliament which was sitting in Townsville on Wednesday.
"The Palaszczuk Government is sick of dodgy contractors and greedy owners exploiting vulnerable Queenslanders for profit.
"Even though the Federal Government is responsible for the sector's regulation, this is one way we can make them more accountable.
"When it is enacted, this Bill will help open up private and public facilities to similar levels of scrutiny, which will help improve the care provided to older Queenslanders," Mr Miles said.
"Queensland families want to know if their loved one gives their life savings to a company to care for them in their old age, what exactly are they paying for? Enough staff with the right skill mix to care for them? Or another Lamborgini for the CEO?"
The Health Transparency Bill will require public health and public residential aged care facilities to publish certain information including their average daily resident care hours on a website quarterly.
Private residential aged care facilities can choose not to report this information, but their decision to opt-out will be highlighted beside their name on the new website.
Consumers will be able to view and compare this information on the new interactive website.