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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 While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations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 161 to 180 of 447 result(s)
/quality-standards/visiting-aged-care-home-during-outbreak-a3-poster

Visiting an aged care home during an outbreak - A3 poster

Poster
Published date

This A3 poster can be used by aged care facilities during an outbreak. It explains the key things for partners in care to remember when visiting an aged care home during an outbreak.

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
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
thumbnail visiting aged care home during outbreak
/quality-standards/what-were-doing-about-palliative-care

What we’re doing about palliative care

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource outlines the Australian Government’s strategies, initiatives, and research for improving palliative care. It details the National Palliative Care Strategy, workforce training, and key programs such as at-home and aged care measures. It also highlights the National Framework for Advance Care Planning, ensuring access to quality palliative care across Australia. 

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
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Palliative and end of life care
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care
What we’re doing about palliative care
/quality-standards/what-hand-hygiene

What is hand hygiene?

Guidance
Published date

This resource provides guidance on proper hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings. It covers key topics such as the correct use of alcohol-based hand rubs, when to wash hands with soap and water, and appropriate glove use. It also addresses common hand care issues and strategies for preventing dermatitis in healthcare workers. 

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
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
What is hand hygiene?
/quality-standards/hand-hygiene-presentation

Hand Hygiene presentation

Presentations
Published date

This presentation is designed for healthcare workers to introduce the basics of hand hygiene, its significance in preventing infections, and ensuring both patient and healthcare worker safety. It outlines when and how to perform hand hygiene, its role in infection control, and the importance of compliance monitoring 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
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Hand Hygiene presentation
/quality-standards/workforce-responsibilities

Workforce responsibilities

Guidance

This resource outlines the workforce responsibilities of aged care providers, including the legal obligation to provide skilled staff and support their workforce. It details mandatory requirements such as 24/7 registered nurse coverage and care minutes for residential aged care services​. 

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
Workforce and human resources management
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.8: Workforce planning, 2.9: Human resource management
Workforce responsibilities
/quality-standards/workforce-planning-aged-care

Workforce planning in aged care

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides guidance about workforce planning in aged care. It includes information about workforce composition, current requirements and why it's important. It highlights the importance of the care experience, including continuity 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.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Workforce and human resources management
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.8: Workforce planning
Workforce planning in aged care
/quality-standards/infection-prevention-and-control-leads-updates-providers

Infection Prevention and Control Leads: Updates for providers

Fact sheet
Published date

This fact sheet provides updated information for providers of aged care on effective infection prevention and control capability. This is critical to the safe, effective delivery of personal and clinical care in aged care. This is particularly the case during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services, 4.2: Infection prevention and control
ipc leads thumbnail
/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/reconciliation-action-plans

Reconciliation Action Plans

Guidance

This resource provides information about Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), including what they are, how to develop a RAP for your organisation, and who has one. RAPs support organisations to strategically take meaningful action to advance reconciliation.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
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
Reconciliation Action Plans
/quality-standards/benefits-effective-incident-management-video

Benefits of effective incident management video

Video
Published date

In this short video, we provide an overview of the benefits of effective incident management in residential aged care settings under the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS), which commenced on 1 April 2021.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Incident management system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.5: Incident management
Benefits of effective incident management video thumbnail
/quality-standards/outbreak-management-plan-stress-testing-outline

Outbreak Management Plan - stress testing outline

Guidance
Published date

Having a comprehensive and organisation-specific outbreak management plan (OMP) helps your organisation to be prepared for the management of infections and outbreaks within your service. A key part of this readiness is ensuring that your OMP is fit-for-purpose and that everyone across the organisation can implement it if required. One way to maintain readiness and support continuous improvement of your OMP is to run regular drills, or stress tests, of your plan.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Outbreak management plan - stress testing
/quality-standards/making-sure-your-workers-can-work-aged-care

Making sure your workers can work in aged care

Fact sheet
Published date

You need to have governance systems and processes to make sure your aged care workers can work in aged care.

This fact sheet explains a provider’s responsibilities for:

  • screening workers
  • preventing breaches to banning orders.

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
Workforce and human resources management
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.8: Workforce planning, 2.9: Human resource management
Making sure your workers can work in aged care
/quality-standards/caring-older-people-heatwaves-home-care-and-chsp

Caring for older people in heatwaves – Home Care and CHSP

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides a checklist for home care and Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) providers to help them prepare for and manage the care of older people during heatwaves. It outlines steps to take before, during, and after heatwaves, ensuring the health and safety of those under their 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
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Emergency and disaster management, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment
Standard
2: The Organisation, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
2.10: Emergency and disaster management, 4.1a: Environment – services delivered in the individual’s home
Caring for older people in heatwaves – Home Care and CHSP
/quality-standards/your-questions-answered-influenza

Your questions answered - Influenza

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource answers common questions about influenza vaccination. It explains the importance of annual flu vaccines, who should get vaccinated, and how the vaccine works. It highlights the vaccine's role in preventing serious complications, particularly for older adults, children, pregnant people, and those with chronic health conditions. 

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
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Your questions answered - Influenza
/quality-standards/caring-cognitive-impairment

Caring for Cognitive Impairment

Guidance

This resource outlines support for health service organisations to provide safe, high-quality care for people with cognitive impairment, especially during COVID-19. It includes new intellectual disability resources, fact sheets, posters, and guidance aligned with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards to improve patient outcomes and care experiences. 

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
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.6 Cognitive impairment  
Caring for Cognitive Impairment
/quality-standards/australian-immunisation-handbook-updates-handbook

Australian Immunisation Handbook - Updates to Handbook

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides a summary of recent updates made to the Australian Immunisation Handbook. It details changes to vaccine recommendations, including the removal of discontinued vaccines, new vaccines for diseases, and revised guidance for specific populations such as pregnant women and immunocompromised people. 

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
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Australian Immunisation Handbook - Updates to  Handbook
/quality-standards/communicable-diseases-network-australia-cdna

Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA)

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides an overview of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA), which coordinates national surveillance and prevention of communicable diseases. It outlines CDNA’s role in managing outbreaks, developing policy, and strengthening disease control. The document supports collaboration with national and international partners to prevent and manage disease outbreaks effectively. 

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
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA)
/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/cognitive-impairment-resources

Cognitive impairment resources

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides a range of materials developed to improve the safety and quality of healthcare for people with cognitive impairment or at risk of delirium. It includes guides, fact sheets, and standards for consumers, clinicians, and health service organisations, supporting the implementation of best practice and 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.

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 3: The Care and Services
Outcomes
5.6 Cognitive impairment  , 3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services
Cognitive impairment resources
/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