Inaugural Aged Care Commissioner Appointed
Rhonda Parker, who has extensive experience in the aged care sector,
will become Australia’s first independent Aged Care Commissioner when the position is inaugurated on 1 May this year.
Her appointment was announced by the Minister for Ageing, Christopher Pyne, who said Ms Parker would also hold the position of Commissioner for Complaints from 1 April to 30 April 2007 to ensure an effective transition to the new investigation arrangements.
“The Aged Care Commissioner is an integral part of new complaints
arrangements which the Government has introduced to strengthen the
provision of aged care in Australia,” Mr Pyne said. “With her background in education, government and management, Ms Parker is well qualified for this position. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the office of the Aged Care Commissioner. I look forward to working with her in future.”
Under the new arrangements, the current Aged Care Aged Care Complaints Resolution Scheme and the Commissioner for Complaints will be replaced with a new Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance and an Aged Care Commissioner.
The office will have an increased capacity to investigate complaints,
make decisions about compliance with the legislation, and act quickly to
require improvement action to be taken.The commissioner will provide an independent avenue of review about decisions which the office makes about complaints. She will also be able to examine Department of Health and Ageing processes for handling complaints, and the conduct of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.
Ms Parker is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Research on Ageing at Curtin University of Technology, Perth. She is a former chief executive officer of Positive Ageing Foundation of Australia Inc, and has been a member of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Board. She has provided consultancy services to the mature-aged accommodation sector.
Ms Parker served for seven years as a Member of the Western Australian Parliament, including three years as a Cabinet Minister. Her portfolios included Education, Tourism and Family, and Children’s Services, Seniors, and Women’s Interests
