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.
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 Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program
The National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program aids residential aged care providers in enhancing their services by allowing them to benchmark their performance against national outcomes. The program resource provides guidance on data submission frequency, explains the program's role, and provides more information on open hours and contact details.
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 Mental Health Workforce Strategy 2022–2032
This resource outlines the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy 2022–2032, providing a roadmap to build a sustainable, skilled mental health workforce. It focuses on attracting, training, and retaining professionals to meet future demands, including those in aged care. The strategy supports coordinated mental health services across various sectors, ensuring a person-centred approach and promoting mental health careers.
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.
Non-compliance
This resource outlines the processes for managing non-compliance in aged care services. It includes information on banning orders, enforceable undertakings, and how the Commission addresses non-compliance through monitoring, complaints directions, and enforcement policies. Providers can also search for performance reports to track compliance.
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.
Governing for Reform in Aged Care Program
This resource outlines the Governing for Reform in Aged Care Program, designed to strengthen corporate and clinical governance capabilities for aged care leaders. It provides tools, online learning modules, webinars, and podcasts to support governance improvement and help leaders engage in reform efforts.
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.
Provider Governance Policy
Under the new Act, registered providers will need to meet certain governance obligations.
Our Provider Governance Policy outlines our expectations of providers and guiding principles of good governance. It includes:
- definitions and principles of good governance
- provider governance obligations
- how we collect provider governance information
- how we respond to provider governance risks.
Your questions answered – Compliance
In this video, Peter Edwards, Executive Director, Compliance and Enforcement Group, answers your questions about how we will manage non-compliance from 1 November 2025.
Case study - Safe and Appropriate use of Psychotropic Medicines - Residential Aged Care
This resource is a fictional scenario that follows an older person’s care pathway with a residential aged care provider. The resource focuses on the systems and processes to support high-quality care of older people living with cognitive impairment. It includes 4 key priority areas: person-centred care, medication management, managing changed behaviours and transitions 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.
Case study - Safe and Appropriate use of Psychotropic Medicines - In-home Aged Care
This resource is a fictional scenario that follows an older person’s care pathway with an in-home aged care provider. The resource focuses on the systems and processes to support high-quality care of older people living with dementia. It includes 4 key priority areas: person-centred care, medication management, managing changed behaviours and transitions 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.
Safe and appropriate use of psychotropic medicines for aged care - Fact sheet
This fact sheet is informed by the Psychotropic Medicines in Cognitive Disability or Impairment Clinical Care Standard (CCS), developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The CCS describes the safe and appropriate use of psychotropic medicines for people with cognitive disability or impairment, in a way that upholds their rights, dignity, health and quality of life.
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.
What is open disclosure? - video
This video explains open disclosure and what older people can expect from their registered provider during the process. It highlights key aspects such as communication, transparency, and how concerns will be addressed.
Clinical governance and quality improvement to support medication management
This resource outlines clinical governance and quality improvement systems to support safe medication management. It requires health service organisations to implement systems for procuring, prescribing, dispensing, and monitoring 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.
Medicines use in older people
This resource is chapter six of the Fourth Atlas 2021 of Healthcare Variations. The chapter examines medicines use in people aged 75 and over, focusing on polypharmacy, medication management reviews (MMRs), and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) dispensing. It highlights variations in medication use and recommends improving access to MMR services and interventions for safe, effective medication use in older populations.
Effective incident management education pack
The Effective incident management education pack is designed for providers to deliver to their own staff. It can be delivered in full or delivered as a series of shorter sessions where you can focus on the sections that are most relevant to your setting or the time you have available.
This pack will support your staff to understand the role they play in effectively managing incidents at your aged care service and help them understand what an incident management system is and its key elements.
Cultural Respect Framework 2016-2026 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
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.
Electronic prescribing
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.
Electronic prescriptions
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.
Quality improvement guidance for aged care providers
This resource offers guidance for aged care providers on implementing continuous quality improvement processes. It explains the ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ model to monitor and enhance care quality, using data and feedback to address issues. It also provides practical examples and tools to support providers in improving care and meeting regulatory requirements. 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.