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.
Designing dementia-friendly care environments
This resource provides guidance for professionals on designing dementia-friendly care environments to help people living with dementia to make the best of everyday life. It includes dementia enabling environment principles and an example of how to design a space using the principles. The resource also includes links to other Dementia Australia resources about developing a dementia-friendly environment.
Dementia enabling environments - Care environments: Kitchen
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.
Dementia enabling environments - Care environments: Dining areas
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.
Familiar Places Webinar 2 – Bedrooms and Dining Areas
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.
Dementia-friendly environments - Personal enjoyment
This resource provides guidance on fostering personal enjoyment for people with dementia, encouraging meaningful activities based on life history and familiar roles. It includes ideas for sensory engagement, physical activity, and social connection in home-like settings.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Dementia-friendly environments - Interior design
This resource provides guidance on interior design elements that create a familiar, practical, and dementia-friendly environment. It includes strategies for lighting, colour, furniture, and surfaces to enhance safety, wayfinding, and comfort in care settings.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Dementia-friendly environments - Designing for people with dementia
This resource provides design principles for creating dementia-friendly environments that support comfort, independence, and a sense of home. It includes guidance on optimising lighting, safety, social connection, and personalised spaces to enhance quality of life.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Bedrooms and privacy
This resource offers guidance on maintaining personal identity for people with dementia by fostering respect, independence, and communication. It suggests environmental and social modifications to enhance dignity, such as personalising spaces, supporting mobility, and addressing unmet needs.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation, and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Emergency plans and procedures
This resource outlines the requirement for all workplaces, including aged care facilities, to have an emergency plan under the model WHS laws. The plan must inform workers and visitors about what to do in emergencies, be easily accessible, and be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure effectiveness.
Guidance and requirements may differ across states and territories. Users are responsible for considering their individual circumstances and specific state-based regulations and legislation.
COVID-19 Information for workplaces - General
This resource provides guidance on minimising the spread of COVID-19, including aged care settings. It outlines vaccine information, risk assessments, physical distancing, hygiene and rapid antigen testing in the workplace. It also contains key resources such as signage, posters and translated information.
How to clean and disinfect your workplace - COVID-19
This resource provides detailed guidelines on cleaning and disinfecting workplaces, including aged care settings, to minimise the spread of COVID-19. It outlines cleaning procedures for different surfaces and items, the proper use of disinfectants, and disposal of materials. It supports workplace hygiene by ensuring routine and post-exposure cleaning protocols.
Tools and aids to help at home
This resource outlines tools, aids, and technology to help people with dementia live safely and independently at home. It includes medication reminders, safety devices, communication tools, and sensory aids. The document provides guidance on selecting appropriate tools to support daily tasks, reduce stress, and maintain quality of life at home.
Emergency Resilience in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities
This resource provides insight into the resilience of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in the face of emergencies and disasters. It explores key challenges and opportunities for enhancing resilience, such as the impact of migration, social capital, and communication barriers. It aims to equip stakeholders with actionable strategies to support resilience within these communities during crises.
Are you alert and ready? Safeguarding against infectious illness in aged care settings
Older Australians, particularly those that reside in residential aged care settings or in multigenerational households, are vulnerable to the ongoing risk of contracting and becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 and other highly infectious illnesses such as influenza and gastroenteritis.
The Aged Care Infection Prevention and Control Guide
This resource outlines the basic principles of infection prevention and control and explains how to apply these principles using a risk-based approach. The guide supports implementation of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. It is a supplementary resource for the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare for aged care settings.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025.
Environmental cleaning and infection prevention and control resources
This resource offers a range of environmental cleaning and infection prevention tools for healthcare settings, including guidelines for small organisations, cleaning audits, product selection, and emerging cleaning technologies. It supports aged care providers in maintaining clean, hygienic environments, helping them comply with infection control standards and ensure safety.
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.
Environmental design resources handbook
This resource supports improvements to environments for people living with dementia. The resource includes information and background on the key design principles and environmental assessment tools. It also includes the Indigenous Aged Care Design Guide. The handbook can be accessed in full, or individually as 7 separate resources.
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.
Caring for older people in heatwaves – Home Care and CHSP
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.
Caring for Older People in heatwaves – Residential Aged Care
This resource provides guidance to care for older people living in residential aged care services during a heatwave. The resource includes checklists to guide providers to support older people before, during and after a heatwave. It includes clinical assessment guidance and where to find more information about heatwaves.
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.
Fire, Security and Workplace Emergencies
This resource provides guidance on workplace emergencies. It includes information about what to do if there's an emergency at your workplace, types of emergencies, evacuation procedures and more. It highlights the importance of being aware of people's needs in an emergency situation and considering vulnerable people when developing an evacuation plan.
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.