The Quality Standards Resource Centre helps extend understanding of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, which take effect from 1 November 2025. The Resource Centre will be updated to reflect key changes made to the draft strengthened Standards. You can search for resources by using keywords, or filtering by standard, outcome, audience and theme. Before using the Resource Centre, please read the terms of use.
Comprehensive Care - Clinical assessment and diagnosis - Key actions for health service organisations
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.
Comprehensive Care - Clinical assessment and diagnosis - Key actions for clinicians
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.
Essential element 2: Identifying goals of care
This resource guides providers in identifying and setting goals of care with patients through shared decision-making. It fosters collaboration between patients, family, and healthcare teams to clarify expectations and establish personalised clinical and personal care objectives.
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.
Comprehensive Care - Review and improve comprehensive care delivery - Key actions for health service organisations
This resource outlines actions for health service organisations to review and improve comprehensive care delivery, focusing on aligning care with patients' needs and care plans. It emphasises regular assessment, multidisciplinary collaboration, and quality improvement to maintain responsive, person-centred care across services.
Communication at clinical handover
This resource focuses on structured clinical handover processes to improve communication during patient care transitions. It highlights the importance of standardising handover procedures to make sure relevant information is effectively communicated, reducing errors and enhancing patient safety, especially during care transfers in healthcare settings, including aged 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.
Communicating for Safety
This resource provides tools and guidance on improving clinical communication to enhance patient safety. It focuses on key communication touchpoints, such as handovers, decision-making, and care transitions. Designed to support healthcare providers, it offers practical strategies to reduce errors and improve outcomes in aged care and other healthcare settings.
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.
Guide for consumers - Psychotropic Medicines in Cognitive Disability or Impairment Clinical Care Standard
This resource is a guide for consumers about the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care's Psychotropic Medicines in Cognitive Disability or Impairment Clinical Care Standard. The resource includes 8 quality statements about the health care consumers should receive to support the correct use of psychotropic medicines.
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.
Guiding principles to achieve continuity in medication management collection
This collection of resources is related to the guiding principles for medication management.The guiding principles aim to promote the quality use of medicines when moving between different health care settings and health care providers. The collection includes the guiding principles and the corresponding glossary, user guide and fact sheet. This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged 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.
Handbook of tools to support medicine management in multimorbidity and polypharmacy
This handbook provides tools to support medicine management in multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The Department of Health and Aged Care commissioned the University of South Australia to develop the handbook.
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.
High risk medicines resources
This resource provides guidance on high-risk medicines, including safety alerts, notices, and best practices for safe prescribing, dispensing, and administration. It includes information on insulin and anticoagulant safety, monitoring tools, and best practice recommendations to improve medication safety and reduce harm from high-risk medications across healthcare settings.
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.
Improving aged care with speech pathology: Why it matters and how it helps
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.
ISBAR Poster
This poster is a tool for improving clinical handover. It outlines the principles of ISBAR: Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. This supports clinical conversations to be clear, focused and relevant.
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.
Reporting adverse events
This resource provides information on identifying and reporting adverse events related to medicines, vaccines, and medical devices. It outlines who can report, how to submit a report, the importance of these reports for safety monitoring, and the steps taken by the TGA in response to reported safety concerns.
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.
Report a problem or side effect
This resource provides information on how to report adverse events, side effects, or problems related to medicines, vaccines, and medical devices. It includes reporting procedures and information for consumers, health professionals, and industry, aiming to enhance safety and address breaches or non-compliant advertising.
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.
Medication management for health practitioners
This resource supports health practitioners in managing medicines through the use of medication charts in aged care facilities and hospitals. It provides guidelines for safe prescribing, administration, and communication. The resource includes both paper-based and electronic medication chart systems to reduce errors, improve patient safety, and streamline medication management processes in aged care settings.
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.
Medication: it's your choice
This resource informs older Australians about their rights and choices regarding medication, including potential side effects, the importance of informed decision-making, and reducing unnecessary antibiotic and psychotropic use. It offers brochures, videos, and fact sheets to support understanding and provide guidance on alternative treatments and safe medication practices.
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.
Medication management
This resource provides information on medication management in aged care, focusing on psychotropics and antimicrobials. It includes tools for reducing inappropriate use, antimicrobial stewardship guidance, self-assessment resources, and quality bulletins. It aims to improve medication safety, prevent inappropriate prescribing, and support care providers in ensuring safe clinical practices.
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.
Polypharmacy Consumer Perspective - National Medicines Symposium 2024
This is a presentation on Polypharmacy Consumer Perspective. It includes details of a case example, resolution and care management, and key principles related to medicines and goal of 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.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medication chart maximum duration in residential aged care
This resource outlines the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medication chart's maximum duration in residential aged care. It explains the use of both paper-based and electronic National Residential Medication Charts (NRMC), highlighting their role in managing prescriptions, medication supply, and administration. The document provides guidance on compliance, chart expiry, and medication safety within aged care facilities. 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.
National Consensus Statement - Essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physical deterioration
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.