Quality Standards Resource Centre

This page offers a wide range of resources aimed at helping aged care providers deliver culturally inclusive services. It includes multilingual communication cards, cultural care plans, and practice guides that help address the cultural, linguistic, and spiritual needs of people in care. The resources make sure aged care services are accessible, safe, and appropriate for culturally and linguistically diverse populations​.

This resource provides up-to-date advice on the types and amounts of food needed for health and wellbeing, based on the Australian dietary guidelines. It includes recommendations for balanced eating patterns, addressing chronic disease risk, and offers resources such as brochures, posters, and guides for different population groups, including children and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This resource provides a module designed to help aged care chefs and cooks manage the nutritional needs and food preferences of culturally diverse populations. It focuses on supporting cultural traditions, involving people in menu planning, and enhancing engagement during meals. The module offers practical skills, recipes, and continuous access to resources, promoting inclusivity in aged care dining service.

This resource provides strategies for presenting texture-modified foods to aged care residents in an appealing way. It emphasises the importance of food presentation in enhancing meal satisfaction and nutritional intake. Techniques include using contrasting colours, layering foods, adding height, and shaping dishes to improve recognition and visual appeal, particularly for those on texture-modified diets.

This resource provides guidance on nutrition for people in palliative care. It highlights the importance of prioritising comfort and quality of life over nutritional intake. It discusses oral intake, artificial hydration, and medically assisted nutrition, emphasising communication with families and cultural considerations when managing nutrition and hydration at the end of life.

The resource provides a guide for health service organisations to improve care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, focusing on 6 specific actions. It highlights strategies to build partnerships, enhance cultural competency, and ensure equitable, safe, and high-quality 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 outlines a national approach to building a culturally respectful health system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It focuses on 6 domains, including communication, workforce development, and data evaluation, to ensure culturally safe, accessible care. It is applicable to aged care, helping providers meet cultural safety standards and improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This resource focuses on culturally inclusive food and nutrition practices in aged care settings. It outlines the importance of considering cultural, religious, and personal food preferences when preparing meals. The guide suggests involving people in menu planning, conducting regular dietary assessments, and providing culturally appropriate meals and utensils. The resource also highlights the value of celebrating cultural events and ensuring meals meet both nutritional needs and cultural expectations.

This resource provides access to a range of materials aimed at promoting healing within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It includes documents on trauma, healing projects, and initiatives like the Stolen Generations redress schemes. Providers can use these resources to understand historical and ongoing trauma and support culturally sensitive care within aged care environments, fostering healing and resilience.

This resource provides information and support for aged care providers, workers, and people in aged care who may have experienced trauma. It offers resources to address trauma-related issues, both for those affected and for those providing care. It also provides guidance for aged care managers and the workforce to ensure trauma-informed care practices are integrated into aged care services.

This resource offers guidance on culturally appropriate communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in aged care. It highlights the importance of respecting cultural identity, involving family, and providing person-centred care. The resource provides practical tips for careworkers to ensure culturally sensitive and respectful communication.

This resource provides a guide for engaging consumers and carers in mental health services. It outlines steps for involving people in decision-making, service design, and evaluation. The guide emphasises co-design, leadership, and dedicated resources to create a person-centred approach that improves care and service outcomes.

This resource outlines the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021–2031, which focuses on improving health outcomes through culturally safe, prevention-focused care. It emphasises addressing cultural and social determinants of health across the life course. The plan supports self-determination, eliminating racism, and fostering partnerships with community-controlled health services to make sure equitable access to health and wellbeing services. 

This resource outlines the framework for electronic prescribing, offering an alternative to paper prescriptions for healthcare providers and consumers. It explains the benefits of electronic prescriptions, such as reducing errors, improving efficiency, and supporting medication safety. The resource also covers technical and legislative requirements for implementing electronic prescriptions in various 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.

This resource outlines the Aged Care Clinical Information System (ACCIS) Standards version 1.0, which sets minimum software requirements for clinical information and electronic medication management systems in aged care. The standards support interoperability, data sharing, and improved care quality by enabling safe and efficient clinical decision-making and information exchange between care providers.

This resource provides an overview of electronic prescriptions, which offer a digital alternative to paper prescriptions. It explains how electronic prescriptions can be issued by healthcare providers and stored on digital devices for convenience. The resource also details the benefits of the Active Script List (ASL) for managing multiple prescriptions, enhancing efficiency and medicine safety.

This resource provides information on advance care planning, which enables people to make decisions about their future health care in case they are unable to communicate their preferences. It helps ensure that healthcare providers and loved ones understand and respect their treatment choices. The resource includes tools, forms, and advice for creating an advance care plan.

This resource offers free online training modules designed to improve food experiences for older people in aged care. The modules cover topics such as creating appetising meals, food presentation, and supporting nutrition and hydration. The program is intended for cooks, chefs, and aged care providers to enhance the quality of food service in care settings.

This resource provides guidance for aged care providers on working with people from diverse backgrounds. It includes information on caring for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, LGBTI elders, care leavers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders. Training programs and resources are available to support culturally appropriate 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 provides information on open disclosure in healthcare, explaining what people should expect if harm occurs during care. It includes fact sheets in various languages and outlines how to prepare for open disclosure discussions. The resource aims to support transparent communication and improve care safety across 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.