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Aged care laws in Australia have now changed. The new Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025 now apply. While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations and legal responsibilities. Thank you for your patience.

Quality Standards Resource Centre

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.

Displaying 241 to 260 of 531 result(s)
/quality-standards/free-aged-care-translation-service

Free aged care translation service

Brochure
Published date

This resource provides information on a free translation and interpreting service funded by the government for aged care providers. It supports effective communication with older people from diverse backgrounds, offering language translation, sign language, and captioning services to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in 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.

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Person-centred care, Corporate and clinical governance, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
1: The Individual, 2: The Organisation, 3: The Care and Services
Outcomes
1.1: Person-centred care, 2.1: Partnering with individuals, 3.3: Communicating for safety and quality
Free aged care translation service
/quality-standards/give-flu-boot

Give flu the boot

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource promotes the free influenza vaccine for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and older. It explains the benefits of flu vaccination, including reducing the risk of severe illness and hospitalisation, and provides guidance on when and where to receive the vaccine to protect communities from influenza.

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.

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Give flu the boot
/quality-standards/fire-security-and-workplace-emergencies

Fire, Security and Workplace Emergencies

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides guidance on workplace emergencies. It includes information about what to do if there's an emergency at your workplace, types of emergencies, evacuation procedures and more. It highlights the importance of being aware of people's needs in an emergency situation and considering vulnerable people when developing an evacuation plan.

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.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Emergency and disaster management
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.10: Emergency and disaster management
Fire, Security and Workplace Emergencies
/quality-standards/food-nutrition-dining-resources-providers

Food, nutrition & dining: resources for providers

Guidance

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.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Clinical safety, Food and nutrition, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.1: Partnering with individuals on food and drinks, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks, 6.4: Dining experience, 7.1: Daily living
Food, nutrition & dining: resources for providers
/quality-standards/guide-consumers-psychotropic-medicines-cognitive-disability-or-impairment-clinical-care-standard

Guide for consumers - Psychotropic Medicines in Cognitive Disability or Impairment Clinical Care Standard

Guidance
Published date

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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Medication management, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines, 5.6 Cognitive impairment  
Guide for consumers - Psychotropic Medicines in Cognitive Disability or Impairment Clinical Care Standard
/quality-standards/guiding-principles-achieve-continuity-medication-management-collection

Guiding principles to achieve continuity in medication management collection

Fact sheet
Published date

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.

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Medication management
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines
Guiding principles to achieve continuity in medication management collection
/quality-standards/guidance-implementation-antimicrobial-stewardship-clinical-care-standard-aged-care

Guidance for implementation of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard in aged care

Guidance
Published date

This resources provides information to implement policies and practices to meet the requirements of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care's Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard. The guidance is relevant in aged care organisations and providers in residential, community and home-based settings where clinical care is provided. 

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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Guidance for implementation of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard in aged care
/quality-standards/government-support-providers-and-workers

Government support for providers and workers

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource outlines government support for aged care providers managing COVID-19 outbreaks. It covers funding through the Outbreak Management Support Supplement, surge workforce programs, infection prevention measures, vaccination assistance, and mental health resources to help providers maintain care quality and safety during outbreaks. 

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.

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Government support for providers and workers
/quality-standards/handbook-tools-support-medicine-management-multimorbidity-and-polypharmacy

Handbook of tools to support medicine management in multimorbidity and polypharmacy

Handbook
Published date

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.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Medication management
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines
Handbook of tools to support medicine management in multimorbidity and polypharmacy
/quality-standards/use-standard-and-transmission-based-precautions

Use of standard and transmission-based precautions

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource provides an overview of standard and transmission-based precautions, including personal protective equipment (PPE) use and patient placement requirements. It helps healthcare providers minimise infection risks by guiding appropriate PPE selection and patient placement based on local risk assessments, ensuring safe and effective infection prevention practices 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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Use of standard and transmission-based precautions
/quality-standards/sustainability-and-infection-prevention-and-control

Sustainability and infection prevention and control

Guidance
Published date

This resource highlights the importance of environmentally sustainable infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in healthcare. It covers fundamental practices such as hand hygiene and sustainable glove use, providing guidance on reducing environmental impact while maintaining safety and quality. It also links to relevant IPC guidelines for 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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Sustainability and infection prevention and control
/quality-standards/vaccination-people-occupational-risk

Vaccination for people at occupational risk

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides vaccination guidelines for people in occupations with increased risk of exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases. It outlines recommended vaccinations for healthcare workers, carers, emergency services, and others in high-risk environments. The document supports the development of vaccination policies and programs to protect workers and the people they serve. 

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.

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control, Workforce and human resources management
Standard
4: The Environment, 2: The Organisation
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 2.9: Human resource management
Vaccination for people at occupational risk
/quality-standards/use-hierarchy-controls-infection-prevention-and-control

Use of the hierarchy of controls in infection prevention and control

Fact sheet
Published date

This fact sheet provides guidance on using the hierarchy of controls with infection prevention systems to manage infection risks. It outlines strategies such as elimination, isolation, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to help aged care providers maintain infection control and ensure safe care environments. 

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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Use of the hierarchy of controls in infection prevention and control - Factsheet
/quality-standards/using-technology-improve-dining-experience

Using technology to improve the dining experience

Guidance

This resource provides guidance on how technology, such as virtual reality (VR) and mobile applications, can enhance the dining experience in aged care settings. These tools are designed to increase engagement, support meal choices, improve communication with families, and contribute to overall wellbeing by making mealtimes more enjoyable. 

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.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Food and nutrition
Standard
4: The Environment, 6: Food and Nutrition, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home, 6.4: Dining experience, 7.1: Daily living
Using technology to improve the dining experience
/quality-standards/transitioning-residential-aged-care-loss-and-grief

Transitioning to Residential Aged Care: Loss and Grief

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource explores the emotional impact of transitioning into residential aged care, focusing on loss and grief experienced by older people and their families. It highlights the common emotional challenges, such as fear, loss of independence, and guilt, and provides strategies to support emotional well-being during this difficult transition. 

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.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Care coordination and transitions
Standard
7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
7.2: Transitions
Transitioning to Residential Aged Care: Loss and Grief
/quality-standards/validating-infection-surveillance-data

Validating infection surveillance data

Fact sheet
Published date

This fact sheet provides guidance on validating infection surveillance data. It supports infection control teams in ensuring data accuracy and completeness, essential for effective infection control strategies. The resource outlines steps for both manual and automated validation methods and includes a checklist for common 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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Validating infection surveillance data
/quality-standards/healthy-mouths-healthy-lives-australias-national-oral-health-plan-2015-2024

Healthy mouths, healthy lives - Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2015-2024

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource outlines Australia’s National Oral Health Plan 2015-2024, aiming to improve oral health and reduce inequalities. It includes strategic directions, guiding principles, foundation areas for action, and focus on priority populations. It addresses access to services, workforce development, safety, quality, promotion, and integrated health systems to enhance overall wellbeing. 

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.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Healthy mouths, healthy lives - Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2015-2024
/quality-standards/healthcare-identifiers-and-healthcare-identifier-service

Healthcare Identifiers and the Healthcare Identifier Service

Guidance
Last Updated

This document explains the Healthcare Identifier Service, a national system for assigning unique healthcare identifiers to individuals, providers, and healthcare organisations. The service aims to improve patient safety, ensure accurate records, and facilitate secure data sharing across health, aged care, and allied health services. It includes privacy measures and public consultation outcomes for potential legislative improvements. 

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.

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Corporate and clinical governance, Information management system, Workforce and human resources management, Care coordination and transitions
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.1: Clinical governance
Healthcare Identifiers and the Healthcare Identifier Service
/quality-standards/heaters-and-burns-reducing-heater-burn-risks-residential-aged-care-services

Heaters and burns - Reducing heater burn risks in residential aged care services

Guidance
Published date

This resource provides guidance for aged care providers on managing risks related to hydronic heaters. It advises regular maintenance, accurate temperature checks, and positioning of beds away from heaters. Installing guards and monitoring heat settings are also recommended to prevent burns and ensure the safety of older people in cooler months. 

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.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Environment, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
4: The Environment
Outcomes
4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home
Heaters and burns - Reducing heater burn risks in residential aged care services
/quality-standards/health-support-aged-care-flood-affected-regions

Health support for aged care in flood-affected regions

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource outlines support available for aged care providers in flood-affected regions. It includes guidance on emergency management, workforce arrangements, access to medical supplies, and disaster relief funding. The document also provides state-specific emergency contacts and resources to help maintain service continuity during and after floods. 

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.

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Emergency and disaster management
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.10: Emergency and disaster management
Health support for aged care in flood-affected regions