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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 While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations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 41 to 60 of 107 result(s)
/quality-standards/communication-after-stroke

Communication after stroke

Fact sheet

This resource provides information on communication difficulties an person may encounter after experiencing a stroke. It discusses how strokes can affect communication, treatment to assist with communication, information on recovery, communication tips for family and friends and help resources for individuals.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.4: Comprehensive care
Communication after stroke
/quality-standards/comprehensive-care-clinical-assessment-and-diagnosis-key-actions-health-service-organisations

Comprehensive Care - Clinical assessment and diagnosis - Key actions for health service organisations

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource provides actions for health service organisations to support clinical assessment and diagnosis, promoting a person-centred approach and comprehensive care planning. It highlights training, clear communication of roles, and systems for documenting diagnoses and care plans. 

This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged care. Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. 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
Assessment and planning, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.4: Comprehensive care
Comprehensive Care - Clinical assessment and diagnosis - Key actions for health service organisations
/quality-standards/comprehensive-care-clinical-assessment-and-diagnosis-key-actions-clinicians

Comprehensive Care - Clinical assessment and diagnosis - Key actions for clinicians

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource provides actions for health service organisations to support clinical assessment and diagnosis, promoting a person-centred approach and comprehensive care planning. It highlights training, clear communication of roles, and systems for documenting diagnoses and care plans. 

This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged care. Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. 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
Assessment and planning, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.4: Comprehensive care
Comprehensive Care - Clinical assessment and diagnosis - Key actions for clinicians
/quality-standards/essential-element-2-identifying-goals-care

Essential element 2: Identifying goals of care

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource guides providers in identifying and setting goals of care with patients through shared decision-making. It fosters collaboration between patients, family, and healthcare teams to clarify expectations and establish personalised clinical and personal care objectives.

This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged care. Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. 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
Choice, independence and quality of life, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Assessment and planning, Care coordination and transitions
Standard
1: The Individual, 3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life, 3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services, 5.4: Comprehensive care
Essential element 2: Identifying goals of care
/quality-standards/falls-prevention

Falls prevention

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides guidance for preventing falls and harm from falls in older people in 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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Falls prevention
/quality-standards/comprehensive-care-review-and-improve-comprehensive-care-delivery-key-actions-health-service-organisations

Comprehensive Care - Review and improve comprehensive care delivery - Key actions for health service organisations

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource outlines actions for health service organisations to review and improve comprehensive care delivery, focusing on aligning care with patients' needs and care plans. It emphasises regular assessment, multidisciplinary collaboration, and quality improvement to maintain responsive, person-centred care across services. 

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Corporate and clinical governance, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Assessment and planning
Standard
2: The Organisation, 3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
2.2a: Quality, safety and inclusion culture to support aged care workers to deliver quality care, 2.2b: Quality, safety and inclusion culture to support individuals, 3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services, 5.4: Comprehensive care
Comprehensive Care - Review and improve comprehensive care delivery - Key actions for health service organisations
/quality-standards/communication-clinical-handover

Communication at clinical handover

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource focuses on structured clinical handover processes to improve communication during patient care transitions. It highlights the importance of standardising handover procedures to make sure relevant information is effectively communicated, reducing errors and enhancing patient safety, especially during care transfers 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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Care coordination and transitions, Assessment and planning
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
3.3: Communicating for safety and quality, 3.4: Planning and coordination of funded aged care services, 5.4: Comprehensive care, 7.2: Transitions
Communication at clinical handover
/quality-standards/communicating-safety

Communicating for Safety

Guidance

This resource provides tools and guidance on improving clinical communication to enhance patient safety. It focuses on key communication touchpoints, such as handovers, decision-making, and care transitions. Designed to support healthcare providers, it offers practical strategies to reduce errors and improve outcomes in aged care and other 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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Care coordination and transitions, Assessment and planning
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
3.3: Communicating for safety and quality, 3.4: Planning and coordination of funded aged care services, 5.4: Comprehensive care, 7.2: Transitions
Communicating for Safety
/quality-standards/food-nutrition-dining-resources-providers

Food, nutrition & dining: resources for providers

Guidance

This resource provides tools and guidance for aged care providers to ensure quality food, nutrition, and dining experiences. It includes hotlines, resources for dining, choice, swallowing, and oral health, as well as webinars, research findings, and practical tips to support older adults' wellbeing and meet care standards. 

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
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Clinical safety, Food and nutrition, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.1: Partnering with individuals on food and drinks, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks, 6.4: Dining experience, 7.1: Daily living
Food, nutrition & dining: resources for providers
/quality-standards/healthy-mouths-healthy-lives-australias-national-oral-health-plan-2015-2024

Healthy mouths, healthy lives - Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2015-2024

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource outlines Australia’s National Oral Health Plan 2015-2024, aiming to improve oral health and reduce inequalities. It includes strategic directions, guiding principles, foundation areas for action, and focus on priority populations. It addresses access to services, workforce development, safety, quality, promotion, and integrated health systems to enhance overall wellbeing. 

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
External resource
Key Theme
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Healthy mouths, healthy lives - Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2015-2024
/quality-standards/improving-aged-care-speech-pathology-why-it-matters-and-how-it-helps

Improving aged care with speech pathology: Why it matters and how it helps

Guidance

This page highlights the role of speech pathologists in supporting older people with communication, eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties. It provides resources for aged care providers on how to improve care quality through effective communication tools and tailored strategies. This resource includes practical examples, like sample plates and picture boards, for enhancing dining experiences and supporting individual choice. 

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
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Food and nutrition
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.4: Comprehensive care, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences
Improving aged care with speech pathology: Why it matters and how it helps
/quality-standards/isbar-poster

ISBAR Poster

Poster
Last Updated

This poster is a tool for improving clinical handover. It outlines the principles of ISBAR: Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. This supports clinical conversations to be clear, focused and relevant. 

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
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Care coordination and transitions
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.4: Comprehensive care
ISBAR Poster
/quality-standards/national-consensus-statement-essential-elements-recognising-and-responding-acute-physical-deterioration

National Consensus Statement - Essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physical deterioration

Guidance
Published date

This consensus statement outlines essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physiological deterioration in healthcare settings. It covers clinical processes like vital signs monitoring, diagnosis, and rapid response systems, as well as organisational aspects such as leadership, education, and evaluation. It provides generic information that can be applied to the aged care setting.

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
Care coordination and transitions, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Assessment and planning
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 3: The Care and Services
Outcomes
5.4: Comprehensive care, 3.1 Assessment and planning
National Consensus Statement - Essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physical deterioration
/quality-standards/oral-health-care-adult-patients-recommendations

Oral health care for adult patients - Recommendations

Guidance
Published date

This resource provides recommendations for oral health care in adult inpatients, focusing on preventing issues like aspiration pneumonia, infections, and malnutrition. It emphasises regular oral assessments and evidence-based care practices. Its principles are applicable in aged care settings to enhance overall care. 

Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. 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
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Oral health care for adult patients - Recommendations
/quality-standards/national-safety-and-quality-digital-mental-health-standards

National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards

Guidance
Published date

These standards outline frameworks to ensure the safety and quality of digital mental health services in Australia. It includes standards for clinical and technical governance, partnering with consumers, and delivering a safe model of care. The standards aim to improve service quality, protect users, and establish guidelines for best practices across digital platforms. 

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
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards
/quality-standards/nsqhs-standards-preventing-pressure-injuries-and-wound-management

NSQHS Standards - Preventing pressure injuries and wound management

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource provides guidance for organisations developing policies, procedures and protocols for preventing, screening, assessing, treating, monitoring and documenting pressure injuries. The fact sheet also provides a pressure injury flowchart for adult hospital admissions. 

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
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
NSQHS Standards - Preventing pressure injuries and wound management
/quality-standards/about-dentists-and-dental-practitioners

About dentists and dental practitioners

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource outlines the roles and qualifications of dental professionals, including dentists, hygienists, and prosthetists, and their responsibilities in patient care. It emphasises the importance of registration, adherence to standards, and compliance monitoring to prevent fraud in Medicare billing and prescribing practices. 

Author
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
About dentists and dental practitioners
/quality-standards/supporting-better-communication-care

Supporting Better Communication & Care

Guidance

This webpage provides resources to help improve communication, care and support for people who are deaf, Deaf, hard of hearing, or who experience hearing loss. It includes 3 tools: Everyday Communication, Inclusive Healthcare, and Building Competency. There are also links to other relevant resources.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Clinical safety
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.3: Communicating for safety and quality, 5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Supporting Better Communication & Care
/quality-standards/healthy-ageing

Healthy Ageing

Guidance

This resource is a collection of resources on the Tasmanian Government Department of Health webpage about healthy ageing. It includes resources about malnutrition screening, being physically active, and eating well.

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
Environment, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Clinical safety, Food and nutrition
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
4.1a: Environment – services delivered in the individual’s home, 5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks
Healthy Ageing
/quality-standards/falls-guidelines-community-care

Falls Guidelines for Community Care

Guidance
Published date

The Preventing Falls and Harm from Falls in Older People: Best Practice Guidelines for Community Care in Australia (Falls Guidelines for Community Care) has been developed for use by health professionals, primary care providers, the aged care workforce and other community care staff. 

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
Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Falls Guidelines for Community Care