Quality Standards Resource Centre

This resource outlines how health service organisations can support advance care planning within the Comprehensive Care Standard (National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards). It highlights the importance of documenting a patient’s preferences for future care and ensuring systems are in place to act on these plans. It also provides actions related to policies, sharing decisions, comprehensive care, and clinical handover. 

This resource provides guidance on ensuring informed consent in healthcare settings. It outlines legal, ethical, and professional requirements for obtaining consent, supports person-centred care, and ensures compliance with Australian healthcare standards. It highlights the importance of providing accurate information about interventions and alternatives, ensuring people have sufficient knowledge of potential risks and benefits. 

This resource explains supported decision-making, a process that helps people retain control over choices in their lives, even with cognitive challenges. It outlines how aged care providers can support people’s decisions, providing information in accessible formats and respecting autonomy, as endorsed by national and international rights frameworks.

This resource outlines the process for speech pathology assessments and reports, which evaluate speech, language, and swallowing abilities. It is relevant to aged care for assessing communication and feeding challenges, guiding appropriate interventions, and supporting care plans. It ensures accurate reporting and informed decision-making in care settings.

This fact sheet helps aged care residents communicate their food and dining preferences. It includes sections for meal choices, dining preferences, assistance needs, health considerations, cultural or religious customs, and contact information for allied health professionals. It also advises staff to monitor changes in weight and contact a dietitian if needed. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards. 

This resource guides clinicians on the importance of advance care planning, particularly for those with life-limiting illnesses, chronic conditions, or cognitive impairment. It outlines the need for early conversations about patient preferences and comprehensive care, ensuring decisions are documented, shared, and align with clinical handover processes to respect patient autonomy and improve care outcomes. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides actions for health service organisations to support clinical assessment and diagnosis, promoting a person-centred approach and comprehensive care planning. It highlights training, clear communication of roles, and systems for documenting diagnoses and care plans. 

This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged care. Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides actions for health service organisations to support clinical assessment and diagnosis, promoting a person-centred approach and comprehensive care planning. It highlights training, clear communication of roles, and systems for documenting diagnoses and care plans. 

This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged care. Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This paper presents a high-level overview of contemporary evidence regarding food services in residential aged care settings.

This fact sheet covers the frequently asked questions about consent in aged care.

This resource provides guidance on incorporating cultural considerations into food, nutrition, and dining in aged care settings. It highlights the importance of understanding diverse dietary preferences, religious practices, and family dynamics to support person-centred care, improve wellbeing, and promote inclusivity within the aged care environment. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource shares positive stories about food, nutrition, and dining improvements in aged care facilities. It highlights initiatives that enhance the dining experience, including resident involvement in meal planning, use of fresh and seasonal ingredients, and creating more social and enjoyable mealtime environments. These stories demonstrate best practices and innovative approaches to improve resident satisfaction and wellbeing. 

This resource provides aged care workers with tools to enhance food, nutrition, and dining experiences for people in their care. It includes practical guides on offering choice, managing swallowing difficulties, promoting oral health, and creating an enjoyable dining environment, all while ensuring adherence to aged care standards. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides tools and guidance for aged care providers to ensure quality food, nutrition, and dining experiences. It includes hotlines, resources for dining, choice, swallowing, and oral health, as well as webinars, research findings, and practical tips to support older adults' wellbeing and meet care standards. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This page highlights the role of speech pathologists in supporting older people with communication, eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties. It provides resources for aged care providers on how to improve care quality through effective communication tools and tailored strategies. This resource includes practical examples, like sample plates and picture boards, for enhancing dining experiences and supporting individual choice. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This consensus statement outlines essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physiological deterioration in healthcare settings. It covers clinical processes like vital signs monitoring, diagnosis, and rapid response systems, as well as organisational aspects such as leadership, education, and evaluation. It provides generic information that can be applied to the aged care setting.

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource provides a nationally consistent framework for advance care planning documents in Australia. It outlines principles, ethical considerations, and best practices for creating, implementing, and accessing advance care plans, including Advance Care Directives. It aims to guide policymakers, administrators, and healthcare providers in recognising people’s values, preferences, and rights regarding future care. 

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This resource examines suicidal thoughts and self-harm in older adults, particularly in residential aged care. It discusses associated risk factors, the prevalence of mental health conditions, what organisations and individuals can do and gaps in understanding suicide risk. It also reviews interventions, highlighting the need for mental health assessments and training to improve detection and care.

This resource covers screening tools for detecting anxiety and depression in older adults, especially in residential aged care. It discusses the importance of mental health screening, steps individuals and organisations can take, choosing appropriate tools, and highlights tools such as the Geriatric Depression Scale and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. It emphasises early detection and routine mental health screening in aged care.

This resource provides information on anxiety among older adults, especially those in residential aged care. It outlines risk factors, detection tools, and effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions such as reminiscence therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. It also provides guidance on what both individuals and organisations can do to prevent and manage anxiety effectively.