Aged Care Quality Bulletin #76 - April 2025 | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

Commissioner’s message

As we are at the end of April I’m sure many readers are enjoying the beautiful autumn leaves that this season brings to many parts of Australia. The beginning of the cooler months also means cold and flu season is upon us.

The Chief Medical Officer and I recently sent out a joint letter to provider Board Chairs about vaccination numbers and preparing for winter. Old age is one of the biggest risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19 or influenza. Regular vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of getting seriously ill, needing hospital care or even dying from these diseases. COVID-19 vaccination rates in residential aged care are currently quite low. The letter encourages boards to support providers to make sure residents have access to the vaccinations they need.

As we’re heading towards the middle of the year, the preparation and support for the start of the new Aged Care Act on 1 July is really ramping up. I’m excited to be able to share the launch of our new Quality Standards Resource Centre. The Centre brings together hundreds of resources from across the sector in one place. The resources are intended to support providers to understand and meet their new obligations under the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. The resource centre provides a filtering tool to help you find the information that will be most useful to your circumstances. The resources have been chosen by a committee of experts to help build the capability of providers, governing bodies and workers.

I also wanted to draw your attention to an opportunity to give your feedback on the final release of the Rules for the new Aged Care Act. This stage of the consultation looks at rules for things like allocating places, accommodation costs and handling complaints. You have until 13 May to share your feedback though the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.

This month we opened virtual registrations for our upcoming National Aged Care Provider Conference 2025 Navigating the change – rights and regulation (28–29 July) having reached our maximum in person capacity of 1,000 provider representatives. All conference plenary and parallel sessions will be livestreamed, so if you hadn’t yet registered, I encourage you to sign up now to join us virtually! You will be able to participate via online Q&As and be part of the discussions. You can complete your virtual registration on our website.

For those that are joining us in person, if you haven’t yet registered for the conference dinner, I can now share with you our keynote dinner speaker is Jean Kittson AM – actor, comedian, author and advocate for our elders and their carers. So do get in quickly to confirm your dinner ticket as spaces are now limited!

We are now finalising the full conference program which will include a fantastic range of speakers from across the sector, and we look forward to sharing that with you in May.

Liz Hefren-Webb
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner

Aged care reform update

Introducing the Quality Standards Resource Centre

Access hundreds of resources on delivering quality aged care through our new Quality Standards Resource Centre.

The online collection brings together more than 500 resources from across the sector onto one platform, with resources from:

government departments
government organisations
peak bodies
our website.

The centre helps increase your understanding of key concepts in the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, building on our existing suite of resources. Before exploring the centre, use our resources to get familiar with the strengthened Quality Standards and what they will mean for you.

All resources are linked to the strengthened Quality Standards, which take effect from 1 July 2025. You can find information about a particular standard, outcome or theme, or search for keywords.

The centre features resources for aged care providers, governing body members and workers.

We select and validate the resources with the help of a committee, made up of external stakeholders and our staff. This makes sure the resources are:

contemporary
relevant
practical
evidence based.

The committee includes representatives from the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

We will review resources regularly. Before using the Quality Standards Resource Centre, read the terms of use.

Provider registration preview

Aged care providers have started receiving their provider registration preview during April.

The Department of Health and Aged Care will send providers a PDF file with the preview from noreply@communications.health.gov.au.

If any information in the PDF is incorrect, please update it by 1 June 2025. Instructions on how to update incorrect information will be in the email you receive from the department.

If the information is correct, providers don’t need to do anything.

If providers need help, they can use the Manage Your Organisation tile in the Government Provider Management System (GPMS) and visit My Aged Care Service and Support Portal.

For technical GPMS support, contact the My Aged Care service provider and assessor helpline on 1800 836 799 and choose option 5.

Once the new Aged Care Act starts (1 July 2025), providers must operate under the new regulatory model and meet the obligations related to their registration category.

New resources to help you understand provider registration

The process to become an approved provider and apply for reaccreditation will change with the new Aged Care Act.

From 1 July 2025, only registered providers will be able to deliver funded aged care services. And all providers will need to be registered by the Commission.

Under the new process, only providers who are suitable can register and stay registered to provide aged care. This change helps protect older people.

The Department of Health and Aged Care will change all current aged care providers to registered providers under the new Act.

We know this is a big change, so we’re developing a range of resources and guidance information to help you understand the new processes that start on 1 July.

Provider Handbook will help if you're planning to apply to become a registered provider or will be a registered provider. It includes details on:
- the registration process
- obligations as a provider under the new regulatory model.
Provider registration videos explain the new provider registration process. They focus on the process of becoming a registered provider, what to expect when renewing your registration, how to vary, suspend or revoke your registration and how we may make changes to your registration. These videos refer to several products that are coming soon to our website including registration forms and registration guidance.
- Becoming a registered provider and renewing your registration video
- Changing, suspending and revoking provider registration video.
Provider Registration Policy explains the process and principles for registration. The policy includes information on:
- our registration model
- initial registration of providers
- approving residential care homes
- renewing registration
- changes the Commission can make to registration
- changes a provider can request to their registration
- the Provider Register.

We‘ll continue to release and update resources in the lead up to 1 July 2025. To keep up to date, sign up to our monthly newsletter.

More information:

Registration and audit providers
Provider Registration and Renewal in Practice webinar – recording and presentation slides.

Get ready for the strengthened Quality Standards

Get ready for the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards with our guidance and resources.

We recently emailed providers, highlighting the key resources available to help you prepare for the strengthened Quality Standards.

The email summarises materials we’ve created to support you and your workers to understand the new Standards and how to apply them in practice.

All of our strengthened Quality Standards resources are draft, as we need to wait until the Rules (in which the Quality Standards are set out) are finalised before we can finalise our guidance materials. We will finalise our resources as soon as we can, and mark them as ‘final’ so that the status is clear to all users.

To keep up to date as resources are released and updated, keep an eye on the strengthened Quality Standards webpage and make sure you’re subscribed to the Quality Bulletin.

Registered supporters for older people

From 1 July, older people can ask to register supporters to help them make decisions about their care, if they want to.

Registered supporters help older people make and communicate aged care decisions. Becoming registered doesn’t mean a person can make decisions for the older person.

Aged care providers must go to the older person for decisions, even when they have a registered supporter. However, an older person can ask a registered supporter to communicate their decisions.

Having a registered supporter won’t stop an older person from doing something that they can do themselves.

Older people’s ability to make decisions and communicate their wishes may change daily, or over time. Understanding who their registered supporters are and the role they play is an important part of respecting an older person’s rights.

You can help by:

speaking to older people about their right to make decisions and their support options
being aware of the role of registered supporters and supported decision-making
creating an environment where the wishes of older people are respected.

The current My Aged Care representative arrangements will stay in place until the new Aged Care Act starts on 1 July.

Representatives who are active in My Aged Care on 30 June will automatically become registered supporters on 1 July. Older people and representatives can opt out of having or being a registered supporter between now and 30 June by calling My Aged Care, and through their My Aged Care Online Account.

Visit My Aged Care to find out more.

Our reports

New insights report: Using refundable deposits in related party arrangements

We have published a new insights report on our targeted review of related party arrangements. Related party arrangements are transactions between the companies within a corporate group. For example, between a parent company and its organisations.

For this targeted review, we assessed if providers met their responsibilities when using refundable deposits in related party arrangements. For example, when:

making loans to related parties
paying for goods or services provided by related parties
making rent and lease payments to related parties.

We found that many providers didn’t meet their prudential responsibilities when using refundable deposits. We educated and guided providers to help them to comply.

If you’re a provider within a corporate group, we encourage you to read the report and look at how you can make sure you meet your responsibilities. The report:

highlights where providers tend to go wrong
outlines our approach to working with providers
includes practical questions and tips.

Meeting your prudential responsibilities helps improve outcomes for older people and their supporters.

You can read our insights report on our website and email us at F&P.reviews&audits@agedcarequality.gov.au with any questions.

Sector performance – latest insights

Our latest Sector Performance Report is now available.

This report gives an overview of how the sector performed from 1 October to 31 December 2024 (Quarter 2, 2024–25). Providers can use this information to see how they compare with the rest of the sector and make improvements.

This quarter’s report includes:

Aged Care Quality Standards compliance rates for residential and home services
an assessment of how the sector is performing across key areas of risk
the number of providers under active or heightened supervision
the number and types of incidents reported under the Serious Incident Response Scheme
the number, rates and types of complaints we’ve received for residential and home services
case studies of providers not complying with their workforce responsibilities and mandatory care minutes and how we responded.

You can read this Sector Performance Report (Quarter 2, 2024–25) and reports from past quarters on the Sector performance page.

Get involved

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Online Forum – 11 June 2025

The Aged Rights Advocacy Service is hosting its 18th annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Online Forum on Wednesday 11 June 2025.

This year’s forum explores the theme ‘Rights first: Preventing elder abuse in a changing aged care landscape’ and features keynote speakers Interim First Nations Commissioner Andrea Kelly and Daniella Greenwood, both prominent voices in ageing, rights, and care reform.

The online forum is an opportunity for aged care professionals, health and allied health professionals, researchers, students, and community members to increase their understanding of:

preventing elder abuse
human rights in aged care
what the new Aged Care Act will mean.

Participants get practical information and take part in discussions shaping the future of aged care in Australia.

This free event is open to all, but you must register. Register now.

Improving palliative care

Expressions of interest are open for the End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC) Linkages Program.

The program is for residential and home care package providers who want to improve their palliative care and advance care planning services.

You will receive tailored support, including access to an ELDAC facilitator and a range of resources.

Your organisation may be eligible to receive a grant of up to $20,000 to help you to take part in the program.

Find out more about the End of Life Directions for Aged Care Linkages Program, or submit an expression of interest.

Join our panels to share your feedback and improve aged care

If you want to take part in consultations, workshops and other ways you can share your feedback and opinions, consider joining one of our panels.

Consumers and Families Panel

The Consumers and Families Panel helps improve aged care through feedback from people who currently use, or are considering using, aged care services. Their carers and family members are also encouraged to take part in the panel.

As a member of the panel, you can:

share what matters to you
provide feedback on aged care projects, resources and services
help improve how we regulate aged care.

Panel members can take part in different ways, including by email, over the phone, or in meetings (online or in person). If you want to join this panel, you can register online or complete a form.

Provider and workers’ engagement register

The Provider and workers' engagement register is a way for aged care providers and workers to share their expertise and experience to support aged care reform.

You can take part as a provider representative, aged care staff member, or both.

As a member of the engagement register, you can:

share your views
help shape processes and resources
contribute to improving how we regulate aged care.

If you would like to join this panel, you can register online.

For more information about how to get involved visit our Consultation and Engagement Hub or email engagement@agedcarequality.gov.au.

Food, nutrition and dining

Have you registered for a free menu and mealtime review?

Applications close Monday 9 June 2025.

You can find more information and how to apply for the 2025–26 financial year menu and meal time review on our website.

In rounds 1 and 2, we received many nominations from interested providers and our reviews are now underway. Providers that are taking part tells us that they find the review and recommendations helpful. They value this external expert support.

About the program

This program offers providers an opportunity to prepare for the introduction of the new strengthened Quality Standard 6: Food and nutrition. The standard applies from 1 July 2025. Standard 6 is about working with older people to find out what they like to eat and drink. This includes regularly reviewing your menus and mealtime service.

The menu and mealtime review program:

is completely free and confidential
is conducted onsite by an independent accredited practising dietitian
provides customised feedback and recommendations.

The review isn’t a regulatory activity, and we don’t get a copy of the review report. The report is confidential to the provider, the residential service and the assessing dietitian.

Residential services, including National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program and multipurpose services, are all eligible for the program

The program runs to 30 June 2026.

Snacks stack up – supporting nutrition and healthy weight

Nutrition and hydration are vital for older people’s health and wellbeing. While 3 main meals are important, services should also provide snacks between meals to support overall health.

Filling gaps in nutrition and supporting healthy weight

As people age, their appetite can go down. This makes it hard for some to get enough energy and nutrients through 3 main meals alone. Snacks between meals can fill gaps in nutrition. Small serves of nutrient-dense foods can help meet nutritional needs and maintain a healthy weight.

Increasing hydration

Dehydration is a dangerous health risk for older people. Snacks with high water content, such as fruit, yoghurt or soups, can help increase hydration. These snacks can be a good option for residents who forget or don’t like to drink water. Offering nourishing options can support not only hydration, but nutrition too.

Making the most of the snack trolley

Most aged-care services deliver snacks and drinks to residents by trolley in between main meals. This helps residents get extra nutrition and hydration throughout the day and at night. It also gives them a chance to have a friendly chat. This can help to break up the day for residents who choose to spend a lot of time in their rooms.

You can read more and get some snack ideas in our full article.

Free Maggie Beer Foundation training

Residential aged care providers need to meet the new food and nutrition Aged Care Quality Standard from 1 July. The free Maggie Beer Foundation training can help you to get ready.

Food, nutrition and the dining experience have a big impact on the quality of life of aged care residents. The Department of Health and Aged Care has published stories from aged care chefs, managers and residents about how the free Maggie Beer Foundation training can helped them improve their food and dining.

Read the stories to see how the training can help you make practical and long-lasting changes. The stories also show the difference better food, nutrition and dining can make from the perspective of residents.

Sign up to training now. A range of options are available, including:

online modules (20–60 mins)
a 3-week online course (2.5 hour class a week)
provider training (20 plus kitchen staff).

The training can help you to:

prepare for the new food and nutrition Quality Standard
prepare and serve nutritious and delicious food
better respond to residents’ food preferences and offer choices
create more enjoyable dining experiences
reduce risk of residents’ unplanned weight loss, falls and pressure injuries.

The training may also help you improve your quality indicator data, which influences your Star Rating.

Find more about food, nutrition and dining in aged care.

Clinical update

Clinical alert and joint letter urge providers to fix poor COVID-19 vaccination rates in aged care

Aged care providers need to do more to maintain COVID-19 vaccination rates for the older people in their care.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, and the Chief Medical Officer, have recently sent a joint letter to aged care provider board chairs and governing bodies asking them to support:

making sure residents have access to recommended vaccine doses when they are eligible
maintaining up-to-date vaccination records.

The Commission’s Chief Clinical Advisor also issued a clinical alert this month about COVID-19 being active across Australia and still posing a risk of death and serious illness to aged care residents. Both the letter and the clinical alert stress that it’s crucial there is an increase in the number of residents getting their COVID-19 booster shot when they’re due to receive it.

As the winter approaches, and influenza vaccination programs begin, this is a perfect time for providers to make sure that their residents have both the flu shot and their COVID booster if it’s overdue. The updated ATAGI COVID-19 statement says that older people don’t have to wait 6 months since their last COVID-19 infection to have a COVID-19 vaccination or booster. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations can also be safely be given at the same time.

Falls Awareness month

We’re a strong supporter of the 2025 April Falls campaign – Falls Prevention is Everyone’s Business. April Falls Month raises awareness about falls and promotes the latest best practice strategies to prevent falls.

Fall facts:

In Australia, around one in 4 people aged over 65 have at least one fall a year.
Falls are the leading cause of injury resulting in hospital admissions in this age group. They are also the leading cause of death.
Research shows that many falls in older people are preventable.
Preventing falls is complex. There are usually multiple factors that increase an older person’s risk of falling. So, it takes multiple targeted interventions (actions or strategies) to reduce their falls risk.

You can read more about falls and how to help prevent them in our full article.

Webinars

Compliance and enforcement

Tuesday 20 May 2025, 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEST

This webinar will explain how the Commission will supervise providers under the new Aged Care Act. We will talk about how we will monitor compliance risk and when we might use new powers, including use of conditions on registration. We will also discuss the types of situations in which the Commission may consider taking court-based enforcement action under the new Act.

Registrations open 2 weeks before the event through our website.

Recording available – Provider Registration and Renewal in Practice

The recording and presentation are now available for our 15 April webinar, Provider Registration and Renewal in Practice. Hosted by Commissioner, Liz Hefren-Webb, the webinar explored:

the step-by-step process of registering as a new provider and renewing registration for existing providers – including audits
the deeming process
how providers can vary their registration.

Department of Health and Aged Care Webinar: Provider obligations and rules

Thursday 8 May, 2:00pm – 3:00pm AEST.

The Department of Health and Aged Care are hosting a webinar for aged care providers on the new regulatory model for aged care.

As an aged care provider, you will need to meet obligations under the new Aged Care Act depending on your registration category.

This webinar will include information to help you to prepare, covering:

provider obligations and rules
preparing for the start of the new Aged Care Act on 1 July
provider registration preview and your registration categories.

You can submit questions for our panel to answer when you register.

Register now.

Learn about provider obligations and support.

The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards through a culturally inclusive lens

The Commission was recently involved in a webinar that aimed to help leaders in the aged care sector apply a culturally inclusive lens to the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. The webinar was co-hosted by us and the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing who presented their new guidance material to support providing culturally inclusive services in line with the Quality Standards.

Melanie Metz, Deputy Commissioner, Sector Capability and Regulatory Strategy presented alongside Nikolaus Rittinghausen, Manager, Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing.

The recording of the Tuesday 15 April webinar will be available shortly on the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing website.

Training and resources

Online live learning

Places are available for our upcoming live learning sessions in May. Each month, we deliver live learning for people working in the aged care sector. These sessions offer practical tips to support learners to understand how to meet their obligations in their service. Commission facilitators deliver our live learning sessions.

Our workshop topics for May are:

The strengthened Quality Standards - Preparing for the changes in residential and home services – practice applying the strengthened quality standards to a real-life case study to support your preparation.
Effective Incident Management Systems – explore your Incident Management System (IMS) obligations. Learn how to use your IMS to keep improving.

Places are limited, so head to Live learning | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to learn more or register today.

Recorded presentations

We now have a range of recorded presentations that we have adapted from workshops we’ve run in the past. You can view these recordings at any time through the Alis platform.

Are you looking to level up your risk management skills?

The Governing for Reform Program has a range of products to help increase and improve governing body member’s risk management knowledge.

We recently ran a webinar discussing Risk Management in Aged Care. Find out how others in the sector are managing risk in this recording Harnessing Risk Management to achieve Better Outcomes in Aged Care.

And, our online learning module Rethinking Risk will help you explore what better practice risk management looks like at an organisational level and your role in driving a more proactive risk mindset to assist with decision making that supports sustainable, high quality consumer outcomes.