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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 While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations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 261 to 277 of 277 result(s)
/quality-standards/dementia-friendly-environments-dining-areas-kitchens-and-eating

Dementia-friendly environments - Dining areas, kitchens and eating

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides guidelines for creating dementia-friendly dining and kitchen spaces, emphasising sensory engagement, personalised meal experiences, and a home-like environment. It includes practical adjustments for lighting, noise, seating, and social interaction to enhance dining enjoyment.

This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment, Food and nutrition
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home, 5.6 Cognitive impairment  , 6.4: Dining experience
Dementia-friendly environments - Dining areas, kitchens and eating
/quality-standards/dementia-enabling-environments

Dementia enabling environments

Guidance

The Dementia Enabling Environments website, developed by Alzheimer's WA, provides guidance and resources to help create enabling environments for a person living with dementia. It includes design principles for different environment types, include home and residential aged care facilities.

This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.1a: Environment – services delivered in the individual’s home, 4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home, 5.6 Cognitive impairment  
Dementia Enabling Environments
/quality-standards/first-nations-digital-flipchart-your-rights-aged-care

First Nations - Digital Flipchart - Your rights in aged care

Presentations, Tool
Published date

A visual guide for conversations between providers/workers and older people about aged care. It includes notes for providers/workers to help guide the conversation.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Feedback and complaints management system, Assessment and planning, Person-centred care
Standard
1: The Individual, 2: The Organisation, 3: The Care and Services
Outcomes
1.1: Person-centred care, 2.6b: Complaints and feedback management for individuals, 3.1 Assessment and planning
Your rights in aged care cover page
/quality-standards/audit-evidence-collection-tool-aect-registration

Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Registration

Tool
Published date
Last Updated

Organisations or persons must complete the Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Registration as part of the initial registration audit. This is compulsory for organisations or persons applying for registration in categories 4, 5 and 6 from 1 November 2025.

The registration audit helps us to understand if the organisation or person can conform with the related strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. 

We use this tool to collect evidence about:

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Audit evidence collection tool
/quality-standards/audit-evidence-collection-tool-aect-renewal

Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Renewal

Tool
Published date
Last Updated

Providers must complete the Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Renewal as part of a renewal audit in registration categories 4, 5 and 6. This is compulsory for providers from 1 November 2025.

Providers only need to complete this tool once as part of the audit program.

The renewal audit helps us to understand if the provider can conform with the related strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.

We use this tool to collect evidence about:

  • your systems and processes
  • how you deliver high-quality care to older people.
Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Draft audit evidence tool - renewal
/quality-standards/audit-evidence-collection-tool-aect-variation

Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Variation

Tool
Published date
Last Updated

Providers must complete the Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Variation as part of a variation audit, where they are asking to add categories 4, 5 or 6 to their registration. This is compulsory for providers from 1 November 2025.

The variation audit helps us to understand if the provider can conform with the related strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. 

We use this tool to collect evidence about:

  • the systems and processes you will establish
  • how you will deliver high-quality care to older people.
Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Draft audit evidence tool - variation
/quality-standards/care-delivery-evidence-collection-tool-cdect-care-delivery-location-category-4-5

Care Delivery Evidence Collection Tool (CDECT) – Care delivery location (Category 4 & 5)

Tool
Published date
Last Updated

Providers must complete this tool as part of a renewal audit in registration categories 4 and 5. 

We will identify a targeted sample of care delivery locations (Category 4 & 5). You will be notified of this sample and the CDECT – Care delivery location must only be completed for these targeted sample locations. 

We use this tool to collect evidence about care and services delivered in a home or community setting.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
CDECT – Care delivery location (Category 4 & 5) thumbnail
/quality-standards/care-delivery-evidence-collection-tool-cdect-residential-category-6

Care Delivery Evidence Collection Tool (CDECT) – Residential (Category 6)

Tool
Published date
Last Updated

Providers must complete this tool as part of a renewal audit in registration category 6. 

The CDECT – Residential must be completed once for each category 6 service. 

We use this tool to collect evidence about the residential care home.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
CDECT – Residential (Category 6) thumbnail
/quality-standards/renewal-registration-audit-guide

Renewal of registration audit guide

Guidance
Published date
Last Updated

This guide helps you prepare for and take part in a renewal of registration audit.

It describes:

  • the purpose of audits and how they inform (help us make) registration decisions
  • the 3 stages of the audit process (initiation, delivery, reporting)
  • what to expect and what to do at each stage
  • the types of evidence we consider during audits
  • how we define our audit ratings
  • the audit tools we use
  • other relevant resources.
Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Renewal of  registration  audit guide
/quality-standards/variation-registration-audit

Variation of registration audit

Guidance
Published date
Last Updated

This guide helps you prepare for and take part in a variation of registration audit.

It describes:

  • the purpose of audits and how they inform (help us make) registration decisions
  • the 3 stages of the audit process (initiation, delivery, reporting)
  • what to expect and what to do at each stage
  • the types of evidence we consider during audits
  • how we define our audit ratings
  • the audit tools we use
  • other relevant resources.
Variation of registration audit  (PDF  434.03 KB)
Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Variation of registration audit
/quality-standards/how-aged-care-advocate-can-help-you

How an aged care advocate can help you

Fact sheet
Published date
Last Updated

If you are concerned about the quality of the aged care service you or the person you represent is receiving, an advocacy service may be able to help.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Feedback and complaints management system, Choice, independence and quality of life
Standard
2: The Organisation, 1: The Individual
Outcomes
2.6b: Complaints and feedback management for individuals, 1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life
How an aged care advocate can help you
/quality-standards/infection-prevention-and-control-acsqh

Infection prevention and control - ACSQH

Guidance
Published date

This resource provides guidelines to reduce infection transmission risks in healthcare settings. It provides information on standard and transmission-based precautions, specific diseases or conditions, other infection prevention and control strategies and promotional resources practices such as hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, and environmental cleaning. 

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, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services, 4.2: Infection prevention and control
Infection prevention and control
/quality-standards/liquidity-calculator-registered-providers-aged-care-sector

Liquidity calculator for registered providers in the aged care sector

Tool
Published date
Last Updated

This calculator informs registered providers of the minimum level of liquid assets they are required to hold calculated based on Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) financial statements.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Liquidity calculator
/quality-standards/first-nations-stakeholder-communications-toolkit

First Nations - Stakeholder Communications Toolkit

Guidance, Tool
Published date
Last Updated

This Toolkit is designed for First Nations stakeholders including providers, workers and others involved in providing aged care services for First Nations people. We’ve developed it to make it easy for you to share relevant resources with your networks and members

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
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, 3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services
First Nations Resources – Communications Toolkit
/quality-standards/coronavirus-covid-19-cleaning-and-disinfection-health-and-residential-aged-care-homes

Coronavirus (COVID-19) cleaning and disinfection for health and residential aged care homes

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource provides cleaning and disinfection guidance for health and residential aged care homes to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. It outlines cleaning protocols, frequency, and the use of appropriate disinfectants, ensuring safety for staff and residents. The document also covers procedures for cleaning after suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. 

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
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment, Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment
Outcomes
4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home, 4.2: Infection prevention and control
Coronavirus (COVID-19) cleaning and disinfection for health and residential aged care homes
/quality-standards/better-practice-complaint-handling-guide

Better Practice Complaint Handling Guide

Guidance
Published date

This resource provides best practice guidance for handling complaints within public service agencies and private providers. It outlines the principles for creating an effective, customer-focused complaint system, including steps for logging, resolving, and communicating complaints. The guide also provides insights on staff training, performance benchmarks, and systemic improvement to enhance service quality and public trust, with relevance for aged care providers ensuring fair and transparent complaint resolution processes.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Feedback and complaints management system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.6a: Complaints and feedback management for aged care workers, 2.6b: Complaints and feedback management for individuals
Better Practice Complaint Handling Guide
/quality-standards/new-financial-and-prudential-standards

The new Financial and Prudential Standards

Guidance, Guides
Published date

The new Financial and Prudential Standards will be introduced with the commencement of the new Aged Care Act. The new Standards set out the minimum requirements for good financial and prudential management of registered aged care providers. Registered providers must comply with the Financial and Prudential Standards that apply to them as a condition of their registration.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
New financial and prudential standards