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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 While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations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 1 to 20 of 99 result(s)
/quality-standards/palliaged-practice-centre

palliAGED - Practice Centre

Guidance

This resource provides information for care workers about palliative care. The Practice Centre provides links to, and information about, tools and resources to use in practice and improve care and outcomes in palliative care. It includes sections on improving practice, symptoms, medicines and tipsheets.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Palliative and end of life care, Food and nutrition
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences
palliAGED - Practice Centre
/quality-standards/palliaged-evidence-centre

palliAGED - Evidence Centre

Guidance

This resource provides evidence-based information for the healthcare sector about palliative care. It includes evidence summaries on topics related to palliative care, such as advance care planning, advocacy, care coordination, goals of care, nutrition and needs assessment.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Palliative and end of life care, Food and nutrition
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences
palliAGED - Evidence Centre
/quality-standards/dementia-australia

Dementia Australia

Guidance

This resource is the Dementia Australia website. The website contains information about the types of dementia, testing, diagnosis, treatment and management of dementia. It includes information about living with dementia, such as behaviour changes, nutrition, staying connected and care options. It also contains information for professionals supporting people living with dementia, including research, tools and other resources. 

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Assessment and planning, Food and nutrition
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services, 5.6 Cognitive impairment  , 6.3: Provision of food and drinks
Dementia Australia
/quality-standards/dementia-enabling-environments-care-environments-kitchen

Dementia enabling environments - Care environments: Kitchen

Fact sheet

This resource, developed by Alzheimer's WA, is a Dementia Enabling Environments illustration information sheet about kitchens in care environments. It includes principles to create enabling spaces and information about how to design the physical environment to maximise enablement and wellbeing for people living with dementia.

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
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment, Food and nutrition
Standard
4: The Environment, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home, 6.4: Dining experience
Dementia enabling environments - Care environments: Kitchen
/quality-standards/dementia-enabling-environments-care-environments-dining-areas

Dementia enabling environments - Care environments: Dining areas

Fact sheet

This resource, developed by Alzheimer's WA, is a Dementia Enabling Environments illustration information sheet about dining areas in care environments. It includes principles to create enabling spaces and information about how to design the physical environment to maximise enablement and wellbeing for people living with dementia.

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
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment, Food and nutrition
Standard
4: The Environment, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home, 6.4: Dining experience
Dementia enabling environments - Care environments: Dining areas
/quality-standards/dementia-enabling-environments-adapt-home-dining-room

Dementia enabling environments - Adapt a home: Dining room

Fact sheet

This resource, developed by Alzheimer's WA, is a Dementia Enabling Environments illustration information sheet about adapting a home, focusing on the dining room. It includes principles to integrate enabling design and make changes within the physical environment to maximise enablement and wellbeing for people living with dementia.

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
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment, Food and nutrition
Standard
4: The Environment, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
4.1a: Environment – services delivered in the individual’s home, 6.4: Dining experience
Dementia enabling environments - Adapt a home: Dining room
/quality-standards/familiar-places-webinar-2-bedrooms-and-dining-areas

Familiar Places Webinar 2 – Bedrooms and Dining Areas

Webinar
Published date

This webpage provides a video webinar focused on familiar places, such as bedrooms and dining areas, for dementia care environments. It offers insights into how these spaces can be designed to support the wellbeing of people living with dementia, with a particular emphasis on creating comfortable and familiar settings.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Food and nutrition, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
6.4: Dining experience, 4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home
Familiar Places Webinar 2 – Bedrooms and Dining Areas
/quality-standards/malnutrition-universal-screening-tool

Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool

Tool

The ‘Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool’ (‘MUST’) is a widely used tool for identifying malnutrition risk in adults across various settings. It includes interactive e-learning modules with case studies and assessments, helping staff improve nutritional care and meet quality standards.

This resource was developed internationally and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Clinical safety, Food and nutrition
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences
Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool
/quality-standards/international-dysphagia-diet-initiative-patient-handouts

International Dysphagia Diet Initiative - Patient Handouts

Fact sheet
Last Updated

This resource provides handouts tailored for people with feeding, chewing, or swallowing difficulties and their carers. It explains the IDDSI framework, describing food texture levels and appropriate testing methods. Separate versions are available for adults and children, each detailing recommended food textures to support safe swallowing practices.

This resource was developed internationally and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Clinical safety, Food and nutrition
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks
International Dysphagia Diet Initiative - Patient Handouts
/quality-standards/international-dysphagia-diet-initiative-framework-documents

International Dysphagia Diet Initiative - Framework Documents

Guidance
Published date

This resource provides the IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) framework, including testing methods, detailed level definitions, audit tools, and implementation guides across language regions. It supports consistent application and understanding of diet textures for people with dysphagia, aiding caregivers in managing dietary needs safely and effectively.

This resource was developed internationally and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Clinical safety, Food and nutrition
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks
International Dysphagia Diet Initiative - Framework Documents
/quality-standards/isbar-identify-situation-background-assessment-and-recommendation

ISBAR - Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation

Guidance

This resource describes the ISBAR communication tool—Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation—used to improve safety during handovers in clinical settings. It includes adaptable resources like fact sheets and lanyard cards to support consistent, structured information transfer.

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
Care coordination and transitions
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.4: Comprehensive care
ISBAR - Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation
/quality-standards/adult-diet-specifications

Adult diet specifications

Guidance

This resource provides specifications for adult diets tailored to inpatient use in NSW hospitals, including allergy-specific and therapeutic requirements. Although intended for inpatients, it can serve as general guidance for dietitians and food service providers in creating meal plans for diverse health needs. This resource applies to healthcare contexts outside of aged care.

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
Food and nutrition
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
6.3: Provision of food and drinks
Adult diet specifications
/quality-standards/food-and-nutrition-manual-aged-care-homes-swallowing-and-food-textures

Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care Homes - Swallowing and food textures

Guidance
Published date

This resource provides guidelines on managing swallowing difficulties in aged care by using texture-modified diets and thickened fluids. It explains various food texture levels and fluid consistencies for safe swallowing, offers practical meal preparation tips, and highlights the importance of regular reassessment by a speech pathologist

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
Clinical safety, Food and nutrition
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks
Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care Homes - Swallowing and food textures
/quality-standards/best-practice-food-and-nutrition-manual-aged-care

Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care

Guidance
Published date

This manual offers practical guidelines on food and nutrition best practices in aged care homes, covering menu planning, meal enjoyment, hydration, and malnutrition prevention. It includes checklists, screening tools, and dietary considerations tailored to the needs of older people.

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
Clinical safety, Food and nutrition
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks, 6.4: Dining experience
Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care
/quality-standards/nutrition-older-people

Nutrition for older people

Guidance

This resource provides nutrition guidelines and support for older people to prevent malnutrition, reduce falls risk, and promote independence. It includes meal planning, dietary tips, and training for service providers, especially those supporting home care.

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
Food and nutrition
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
6.3: Provision of food and drinks
Nutrition for older people
/quality-standards/standardised-care-processes

Standardised care processes

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource offers evidence-based standardised care processes for aged care providers, covering high-risk clinical areas such as falls, pain, incontinence, and dehydration. It provides structured guidelines to support best practices, ensuring consistent and safe care for older people in residential settings.

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
Medication management, Clinical safety, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Palliative and end of life care, Food and nutrition
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines, 5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 5.6 Cognitive impairment  , 5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care, 6.2: Assessment of nutritional needs and preferences, 6.3: Provision of food and drinks
Standardised care processes
/quality-standards/informed-consent-health-direct

Informed consent - Health Direct

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource explains the legal requirements and processes for obtaining informed consent for medical treatments, procedures, and care. It is relevant to aged care by ensuring that people understand their healthcare options, risks, and benefits, supporting their ability to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Choice, independence and quality of life, Assessment and planning, Care coordination and transitions
Standard
1: The Individual, 3: The Care and Services, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life, 3.1 Assessment and planning, 7.2: Transitions
Informed consent
/quality-standards/healthy-eating-and-nutrition-resources

Healthy Eating and Nutrition Resources

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides heart-healthy eating and nutrition resources for health professionals to guide patients. It includes practical advice on managing high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, and increasing omega-3 intake. The materials support long-term dietary changes through recipes, meal planning tools, and educational guides to promote heart health.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Food and nutrition
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
6.3: Provision of food and drinks
/quality-standards/care-coordination

Care Coordination

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource offers practical guidance on effective care coordination, focusing on communication within multidisciplinary teams, continuity of care, and transition management. It provides tools for involving families in care planning and supports strategies for optimising palliative care and improving outcomes for people in aged care settings.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Care coordination and transitions
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
3.4: Planning and coordination of funded aged care services, 7.2: Transitions
Care Coordination
/quality-standards/racgp-aged-care-clinical-guide-silver-book-part-b-collaboration-and-multidisciplinary-team-based-care

RACGP aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) - Part B - Collaboration and multidisciplinary team-based care

Guidance
Last Updated

This guide focuses on collaboration and multidisciplinary care for older adults, particularly in residential aged care. It outlines the benefits of team-based care, effective team structures, shared goals, defined roles, building trust, communication, and measurable processes to improve health outcomes. It provides practical tips for effective teamwork and highlights the importance of coordinating care among various healthcare professionals.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Care coordination and transitions, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 3: The Care and Services, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
5.4: Comprehensive care, 3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services, 7.2: Transitions