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Quality Standards Resource Centre

The Quality Standards Resource Centre helps extend understanding of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, which took effect from 1 November 2025. You can search for resources by using keywords, or filtering by standard, outcome and audience. Before using the Resource Centre, please read the terms of use.

Displaying 1 to 15 of 15 result(s)
/quality-standards/goals-care-document

Goals of care document

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource explains the purpose of a goals of care document, which outlines a person’s medical treatment goals and end of life care preferences. It describes how healthcare providers create and upload these documents to health records, supporting informed decision-making and access to care preferences.

Author
External resource
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services, 5.4: Comprehensive care
Goals of care document
/quality-standards/informed-consent

Informed consent

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides guidance on ensuring informed consent in healthcare settings. It outlines legal, ethical, and professional requirements for obtaining consent, supports person-centred care, and ensures compliance with Australian healthcare standards. It highlights the importance of providing accurate information about interventions and alternatives, ensuring people have sufficient knowledge of potential risks and benefits. 

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
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/supported-decision-making

Supported decision-making

Tool

This resource explains supported decision-making, a process that helps people retain control over choices in their lives, even with cognitive challenges. It outlines how aged care providers can support people’s decisions, providing information in accessible formats and respecting autonomy, as endorsed by national and international rights frameworks.

Author
External resource
Standard
1: The Individual, 3: The Care and Services
Outcomes
1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life, 3.1 Assessment and planning
Supported decision-making
/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
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
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
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/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
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/frequently-asked-questions-about-consent

Frequently asked questions about consent

Fact sheet
Published date

This fact sheet covers the frequently asked questions about consent in aged care.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
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
Cover of Frequently asked questions about consent
/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
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
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/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
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/implementing-comprehensive-care-standard-clinical-assessment-and-diagnosis

Implementing the Comprehensive Care Standard - Clinical assessment and diagnosis

Guidance
Published date

This document provides guidance on implementing the clinical assessment and diagnosis element of the Comprehensive Care Standard (National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards). It helps clinicians identify a person’s conditions or needs through examination and investigation. The resource supports safe, patient-centred care, improving diagnostic accuracy and promoting teamwork 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
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 3: The Care and Services
Outcomes
5.4: Comprehensive care, 3.1 Assessment and planning
Implementing the Comprehensive Care Standard - Clinical assessment and diagnosis
/quality-standards/racgp-aged-care-clinical-guide-silver-book-part-b-anticipatory-care

RACGP aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) - Part B - Anticipatory care

Guidance
Last Updated

This guide outlines anticipatory care planning for older adults, focusing on proactive and person-centred approaches. It details triggers for care planning, identifying vulnerability, medication management, and the use of 'as needed' (PRN) medicines for various conditions like allergic reactions, asthma, diabetes, falls, and palliative care. It includes specific recommendations for developing individualised care plans and appropriate interventions for maintaining health and quality of life.

Author
External resource
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 3: The Care and Services, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
4.1a: Environment – services delivered in the individual’s home, 3.2: Delivery of funded aged care services, 5.4: Comprehensive care
RACGP aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) - Part B - Anticipatory care
/quality-standards/goal-setting

Goal setting

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource discusses the role of goal setting in enhancing rehabilitation, reablement, and restorative care for older people. It highlights the value of involving older people in defining goals and the positive impact of goal setting on engagement, daily function, and quality of life.

Author
External resource
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
Goal setting
/quality-standards/goal-planning-tool

Goal planning tool

Guides, Tool
Published date

This resource is a goal planning tool designed to support aged care providers in improving food, dining, nutrition, and consumer choice. It helps providers set objectives, track progress, and implement actions to enhance service quality, ensuring that people’s preferences and dietary needs are consistently met​. 

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. 

Goal planning tool  (PDF  899.52 KB)
Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 1: The Individual
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life
Goal planning document with an orange header and two tables with four columns and three rows