The Quality Standards Resource Centre helps extend understanding of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, which took effect from 1 November 2025. You can search for resources by using keywords, or filtering by standard, outcome and audience. Before using the Resource Centre, please read the terms of use.
Dementia-friendly environments - Dining areas, kitchens and eating
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.
Dementia enabling environments
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.
Food, nutrition & dining - information for providers
This resource provides information and support for aged care providers to improve food, nutrition, and dining services. It includes guidance on meeting nutritional standards, promoting resident choice, and ensuring a positive dining experience. The resource also offers tools for monitoring food quality, addressing dietary needs, and enhancing overall meal service delivery. This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 July 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Food, nutrition & dining - information for workers
This resource provides guidance for aged care workers on improving food, nutrition, and dining experiences for residents. It covers meal preparation, resident engagement in food choices, safe food handling, and the importance of nutrition in promoting wellbeing. The resource offers practical tips for ensuring meals meet individual dietary needs and preferences. 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.
Eat for health: Healthy eating when you're older
This resource provides guidance on healthy eating for older adults, emphasising nutrient-dense foods while limiting energy-dense options. It highlights the importance of consuming a variety of foods from the 5 food groups, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, and managing dietary needs for chronic conditions. It also includes tips for food safety and preventing malnutrition.
Partnering in care - Caring together
This resource outlines the Partnerships in Care (PiC) programme, which encourages family and friends to support companionship and care for people in aged care, even during outbreak situations. It provides guidance on infection control, visitation protocols, and formal engagement with care activities to enhance resident well-being in a safe, structured manner.
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.
First Nations - Digital Flipchart - Your rights in aged care
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.
Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Registration
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:
Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Renewal
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.
Audit Evidence Collection Tool (AECT) – Variation
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.
Renewal of registration audit guide
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.
Variation of registration audit
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.
How an aged care advocate can help you
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.
Food, nutrition and dining: a reflection on practice
This training PowerPoint is a presentation that trainers/managers can download, customise and use to promote discussion and educate their staff to support and improve the food, nutrition and dining experience of consumers in their care.
The resource is designed to support reflective discussions about what ‘best practice’ looks like and a reflection on how it applies in practice. 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.
Liquidity calculator for registered providers in the aged care sector
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.
Better Practice Complaint Handling Guide
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.
Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care - Resources
This resource provides a collection of tools and guidelines for improving person-centred care in aged care settings. It includes assessments on care personalisation, pain management, staff-family relationships, and support for sexuality and decision-making for people with dementia.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
The new Financial and Prudential Standards
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.
Residential Medication Management Review and Quality Use of Medicines
This page provides information on the intent of the Residential Medication Management Review and Quality Use of Medicines (RMMR) Program. It outlines its purpose, participation requirements, claiming and payment processes, frequently asked questions, program rules, and extra available downloads.
First Nations – Workplace poster – Standard 3 Care and services
These workplace standards posters demonstrate the strengthened Standards and what they mean for aged care providers and workers. You can print these out and display them around your workplace.