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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 While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations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 12 of 12 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/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/what-mini-nutritional-assessment-mna

What is the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)?

Guidance, Tool

This resource is a validated nutrition screening and assessment tool to identify malnutrition or risk of malnutrition in people aged 65 and older. It includes an easy-to-use short form for quick identification and intervention planning.

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
What is the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)?
/quality-standards/guide-completing-mini-nutritional-assessment-short-form

A guide to completing the Mini Nutritional Assessment – Short Form

Tool

This resource is a guide and video for using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) to identify malnutrition in older people. It explains question scoring, interpretation, and measurement procedures, with a video demonstration.

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
A guide to completing the Mini Nutritional Assessment – Short Form
/quality-standards/eat-10-swallowing-screening-tool

EAT-10: A Swallowing Screening Tool

Tool
Published date

This resource offers a self-assessment tool to screen for swallowing difficulties by rating various aspects of swallowing function. A score of 3 or higher suggests potential issues that may require discussion with a healthcare provider.

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
EAT-10: A Swallowing Screening Tool
/quality-standards/my-food-and-dining-preferences-form

My food and dining preferences - form

Fact sheet
Published date
Last Updated

This fact sheet helps aged care residents communicate their food and dining preferences. It includes sections for meal choices, dining preferences, assistance needs, health considerations, cultural or religious customs, and contact information for allied health professionals. It also advises staff to monitor changes in weight and contact a dietitian if needed. 

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
Food and nutrition, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Assessment and planning
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 6: Food and Nutrition, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
6.1: Partnering with individuals on food and drinks, 3.1 Assessment and planning, 7.1: Daily living
Image of Food and dining preferences fact sheet
/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/food-and-dining-your-choices-matter

Food and dining - your choices matter

Fact sheet
Published date
Last Updated

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. 

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Food and nutrition, Choice, independence and quality of life, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Feedback and complaints management system
Standard
1: The Individual, 2: The Organisation, 6: Food and Nutrition, 7: The Residential Community
Outcomes
1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life, 2.6a: Complaints and feedback management for aged care workers, 2.6b: Complaints and feedback management for individuals, 6.1: Partnering with individuals on food and drinks, 7.1: Daily living
First page of the Food and dining – your choices matter fact sheet
/quality-standards/about-food-nutrition-and-dining-hotline-provider-and-worker-fact-sheet

About the Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline – provider and worker fact sheet

Fact sheet
Published date
Last Updated

This resource provides information about the Food, Nutrition, and Dining Hotline, which offers advice and addresses concerns regarding food and dining in aged care. It allows aged care providers, staff, residents, families, and carers to raise issues about nutrition, menu planning, and dining experiences to improve quality and care outcomes. 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
Feedback and complaints management system, Food and nutrition
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition, 2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.6a: Complaints and feedback management for aged care workers, 2.6b: Complaints and feedback management for individuals, 6.1: Partnering with individuals on food and drinks
First page of About the Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline provider fact sheet.
/quality-standards/food-nutrition-and-dining-hotline-stakeholder-communications-kit

Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline - Stakeholder Communications Kit

Tool
Last Updated

This resource provides a communications kit to help promote the Food, Nutrition, and Dining Hotline. It includes social media posts, fact sheets, and videos to support providers in raising awareness of the hotline, which offers advice, information, and assistance on food, nutrition, and dining-related matters in 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
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Food and nutrition, Feedback and complaints management system
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition, 2: The Organisation
Outcomes
6.1: Partnering with individuals on food and drinks
Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline - Stakeholder Communications Kit