Quality Standards Resource Centre

This resource includes posters outlining standard and transmission-based precautions for infection control. It provides guidance on preventing healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene, appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and environmental cleaning. These posters support staff in implementing best practices for infection prevention across care settings, including aged care facilities. 

This resource provides an overview of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) in Australia, detailing eligibility criteria, procedures, and legal requirements. It covers how VAD laws vary across jurisdictions, safeguards in place, and responsibilities for health professionals and institutions. Health professionals can conscientiously object but may still have legal responsibilities.

This resource provides work health and safety (WHS) guidance for the aged care industry during COVID-19. It includes information on employer responsibilities, safe workplace practices, and compliance with public health directions. It supports aged care providers in managing COVID-19 risks across various settings, including residential, respite, and in-home care services.

This resource explains respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common and highly contagious virus that affects the airways and lungs. It outlines symptoms, prevention, and potential complications, especially for young children and older adults. It also provides information on diagnosis, treatment, and recently approved vaccines for at-risk groups.

This resource offers materials from the Beforeplay campaign to raise awareness about sexually transmissible infections (STIs). It provides videos, fact sheets, and posters aimed at educating people on STI prevention, testing, and protection, with tailored resources for various groups including young people, couples, and healthcare professionals. 

This resource provides an overview of the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI), aimed at preventing infections in healthcare settings through effective hand hygiene practices. It offers tools, training, and data for hand hygiene compliance, supporting healthcare providers in reducing contamination risks and improving patient safety. 

This resource provides a detailed overview of infection prevention and control systems in healthcare settings. It highlights the use of standard and transmission-based precautions, hand hygiene, aseptic techniques, and workforce immunisation. The document outlines strategies to reduce infection risks and maintain clean, safe environments, ensuring comprehensive infection control management​. 

This resource outlines the role of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Advisory Committee. The committee provides strategic advice to support national initiatives related to infection prevention and control, focusing on compliance with safety standards, infection surveillance, and improving engagement with clinicians and consumers to enhance IPC practices​. 

This page provides resources about palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, and resources to support the non-Indigenous workforce provide culturally-responsive palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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 appropriate patient placement in healthcare settings to prevent the spread of infections. It supports healthcare workers in assessing and allocating beds based on infection risks, promoting effective use of PPE, dedicated equipment, and environmental cleaning as part of transmission-based precautions. 

This survey resource provides a framework for assessing antimicrobial prescribing practices in aged care and other health settings. It supports health facilities in evaluating the appropriateness of antimicrobial use through audit tools and data collection, contributing to antimicrobial stewardship and improved patient care quality.

This provider poster is an educational tool is part of the Commission’s resource bundle to improve antibiotic use for urinary tract infections in aged care services.

The National Palliative Care Standards provide guidance for all health professionals and aged care services to deliver high-quality generalist palliative care. They support improved experiences and outcomes for people receiving care, and are intended for use across diverse care settings. Resources like audit tools and fact sheets are available to aid self-assessment and adherence to these standards​.

This resource provides culturally appropriate palliative care education and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It includes resources, videos, and training materials aimed at improving understanding, communication, and care practices in end-of-life care, integrating cultural beliefs and values to enhance quality care for Indigenous Australians.

This resource provides evidence-based information and resources on palliative care for health professionals, patients and carers. It covers clinical practice, education, research, and service delivery. The platform aims to improve understanding, decision-making, and quality of care for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

This guide focuses on palliative and end-of-life care, detailing general principles, illness trajectories, the role of general practitioners, and practical recommendations for patient-cantered care. It provides consensus-based guidelines for initiating advance care planning, symptom management, team-based end-of-life care, medication use, and supporting both patients and their families. It includes information on the transition from chronic disease treatment to a palliative approach and includes tools for clinical decision-making.

This guide outlines a palliative care approach for patients with life-limiting conditions, focusing on improving quality of life through early assessment, pain relief, and addressing psychosocial and spiritual needs. It describes the role of general practitioners in delivering person-centred care, engaging families, and ensuring collaborative, holistic support in both residential aged care and community settings.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) undertakes a range of regulatory activities to monitor compliance and mitigate risk to aged care consumers. The Commission has incorporated spot check monitoring of infection control practice into its usual regulatory activities. You can find more information about Infection control spot checks here. 

To Dip or Not to Dip (TDONTD) is a quality improvement intervention successfully implemented in UK and Australian aged care homes to improve UTI assessment and antibiotic prescribing appropriateness.

This implementation guide has been drawn from the experiences of homes and champions who have implemented TDONTD, along with feedback from aged care nurses and personal care assistants who have used TDONTD resources.