Quality Standards Resource Centre

This resource provides information sheets for residents, families, and carers to support decision-making in residential aged care. Covering topics such as pain management, falls, and medicines, it promotes health literacy, enabling consumers to engage in discussions and report care issues effectively.

This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

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.

This guide focuses on the role of families and carers in supporting older adults, covering topics like consent, communication, self-care, and bereavement support. It includes practical advice on involving carers in healthcare planning, respecting patient confidentiality, and resources for additional support, ensuring comprehensive care for both patients and carers.

This resource provides guidance on recognising, assessing, and managing abuse of older people in various settings, including residential aged care. It covers types of abuse (financial, emotional, physical, sexual, neglect), risk factors, barriers to disclosure, and steps for prevention. The document also includes recommendations for safety planning, intervention strategies, and resources for support across Australian states and territories.

This resource outlines the principles for safe and high-quality transitions of care, emphasising person-centred care, multidisciplinary collaboration, and effective communication. It highlights the need for secure documentation, continuity of care, and coordination among healthcare teams to make sure smooth transitions and minimise risks during transfers between care providers. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

This resource provides practical tools for aged care governing bodies and executives to support governance processes. It includes templates for audit planning, risk management, performance reporting, and compliance monitoring, helping providers ensure effective oversight and decision-making aligned with the Aged Care Quality Standards​. 

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.

This resource provides Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) insights reports, offering case study examples and data to help aged care providers improve incident management practices. The reports feature learnings from incidents such as unexplained absences and unreasonable use of force, helping providers assess their own practices and enhance care quality​. 

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.

This resource explains Incident Management Systems (IMS) used in aged care to record, manage, and respond to incidents. It provides guidance on building a safety culture, recording and analysing incidents, and implementing steps to prevent reoccurrences, supporting continuous improvement in care delivery. 

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.

This resource outlines the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS), which helps reduce abuse and neglect of older people in aged care services. It mandates that Commonwealth-subsidised aged care providers implement systems to manage and prevent serious incidents. Providers must report incidents such as abuse, neglect, and unlawful contact, ensuring older people’s safety and wellbeing. 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.

This resource provides information on how aged care providers should respond to serious incidents, ensuring the safety, health, and wellbeing of people in care. It outlines mandatory reporting requirements for incidents such as abuse, neglect, or financial coercion under the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS), aiming to promote transparency and accountability in aged care 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.

This resource provides an introduction to the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS), outlining its role in managing and reporting serious incidents in aged care. It includes guidance on incident management systems, the responsibilities of managers and workers, and reporting requirements for residential and home 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.

This resource outlines reportable incidents within aged care, including Priority 1 and Priority 2 incidents. It provides information on the 8 types of incidents that must be reported, such as psychological abuse, neglect, and the inappropriate use of restrictive practices, helping providers meet their obligations. 

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.

This resource outlines essential principles to support safe and high-quality transitions of care for people across healthcare settings, including aged care. It emphasises person-centred approaches, multidisciplinary collaboration, secure record systems, and continuity of care, aiming to minimise risks during care transitions for vulnerable populations. 

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.

This resource outlines the principles of safe and high-quality transitions of care. It highlights the importance of person-centred care, multidisciplinary collaboration, and clear communication between providers. It ensures coordination, accountability, and secure documentation to support continuity of care when transferring people between care 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.

The National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program aids residential aged care providers in enhancing their services by allowing them to benchmark their performance against national outcomes. The program resource provides guidance on data submission frequency, explains the program's role, and provides more information on open hours and contact details. 

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.