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.
Food and dining - your choices matter
This fact sheet informs aged care residents of their rights to safe, enjoyable, and respectful dining experiences. It outlines steps for raising concerns with providers about food and dining, offers a preference form for residents to communicate their dietary needs, and provides contact information for support services if issues remain unresolved. 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.
Older Persons Advocacy Network
This resource provides information on aged care advocacy services, offering free and confidential support to older people receiving government-funded aged care. It includes resources to help people understand their rights, navigate the aged care system, and access advocacy for issues such as care quality, decision-making, and protection from harm.
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.
How to support everyday decision-making for people living with dementia in residential aged care: A guide for care workers
This guide offers practical strategies for care workers to support people with dementia in making everyday decisions within residential aged care settings. It covers communication techniques, promoting choice in personal care and daily activities, understanding body language, and emphasises person-centred care while respecting residents' preferences, dignity, and rights.
RACGP aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) - Part B - Advance care planning
This guide covers advance care planning for older adults, detailing the process of discussing patients' values, appointing a decision-maker, and documenting preferences for future care. It outlines the general practitioner’s role, steps for initiating discussions, assessing decision-making capacity, storing care plans, and ensuring patients' wishes are respected during their illness trajectory.
Tips for Careworkers: Culturally Responsive Care - Communication
This resource provides practice tip sheets for care workers, focusing on culturally responsive care for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It outlines communication strategies, emphasising person-centred care, cultural sensitivity, and effective interaction with patients and families, especially at the end of life.
Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing
This resource provides a variety of documents and resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It covers topics including leadership in mental health, culturally safe practices, social and emotional wellbeing, suicide prevention, and strategic policy frameworks, offering tools for health professionals and communities.
RACGP Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice - Miscellaneous
This resource provides guidelines for preventive activities in general practice, covering frailty, hearing, sleep disorders, oral health, urinary incontinence, and vision.
Half the story: A guide to meaningful consultation with people living with dementia, families and carers
This resource is a guide for meaningful consultation with people living with dementia, their families, and carers. It covers planning, ethical considerations, communication methods, and ways to improve accessibility. The guide offers strategies to ensure the voices of those living with dementia are respected, valued, and effectively integrated into decision-making processes.
Draft National Consumer Engagement Strategy for Health and Wellbeing
This resource presents the Draft National Consumer Engagement Strategy for Health and Wellbeing, which aims to foster partnerships between health policymakers and communities. It is designed to involve people and communities in the development and implementation of preventive health policies. The strategy supports policymakers and program developers in engaging effectively with consumers to achieve improved health outcomes across Australia.
Tips for Careworkers: First Australians – Communication
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.
Consumer and carer engagement: A practical guide
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.
Advance Care Planning Australia
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.
COTA - Council on the Ageing
This resource provides information on the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia's work, including advocacy, policy priorities, and resources for older adults. It highlights key areas such as dental care affordability, aged care reform, and independence for seniors. The site offers publications, submissions to inquiries, and the Aged Care Visitors Code, relevant for aged care providers and consumers.
Implementing the Comprehensive Care Standard - Clinical assessment and diagnosis
This document provides guidance on implementing the clinical assessment and diagnosis element of the Comprehensive Care Standard (National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards). It helps clinicians identify a person’s conditions or needs through examination and investigation. The resource supports safe, patient-centred care, improving diagnostic accuracy and promoting teamwork in 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.
NSQMHCMO Standards Guide for Service Providers
This guide helps service providers implement the National Safety and Quality Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations. It covers governance, care models, and quality systems. While focused on mental health services, elements like governance and quality may be relevant to 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.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health program
This resource provides information on a mental health program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes funding for culturally appropriate mental health services, offering psychological therapies, complex care, and clinical coordination. The program integrates with other services such as drug and alcohol support and suicide prevention initiatives.
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.
Dignity of risk – Introduction to aged care video
This video explains the concept of dignity of risk in aged care, emphasising that older people have the right to make their own choices, even when those choices involve risks. It provides examples of how care providers can support decision-making while promoting safety and respect for individual autonomy.
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.
Mental health and wellbeing - Dementia and mental health
This resource examines mental health challenges in people living with dementia, covering complexities in diagnosing conditions like depression and anxiety. It provides evidence-based insights on therapeutic approaches, including music and cognitive therapies, and offers tools to aid aged care providers in supporting mental health in dementia care.
Seeking support from an advocate
This resource describes the advocacy support available for people receiving government-funded aged care, provided through the National Aged Care Advocacy Program. It outlines the role of advocates in assisting with understanding services, managing rights, addressing concerns, and learning self-advocacy skills, supporting respectful and fair treatment in aged care.
Common barriers
This resource outlines common barriers faced by diverse groups in accessing aged care services, including communication challenges, social isolation, experiences of trauma, grief and loss, and social exclusion. It provides guidance on addressing these issues to make sure equitable access to services for all older people.