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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 While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations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 128 result(s)
/quality-standards/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-discussion-starter-working-out-whats-right-you

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Discussion Starter – Working Out What’s Right For You

Guidance
Published date

This resource includes information and tools to support thinking and talking about wishes and preferences for care at the end of life. This resource has been developed for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, their community, and those working with them. The resource also includes information about identifying decision makers and advance care planning.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Palliative and end of life care
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Discussion Starter – Working Out What’s Right For You
/quality-standards/kimberley-indigenous-cognitive-assessment-kica

Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA)

Tool

The Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA) is a cognitive screening tool for older Aboriginal Australians living in rural and remote areas. It has been adapted for use with Torres Strait Islander people, and for Aboriginal people living in urban and regional areas.

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
Assessment and planning, Delivering comprehensive care and services
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.6 Cognitive impairment  
Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA)
/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/palliative-care-australia

Palliative Care Australia

Guidance

This resource is the Palliative Care Australia website. The website contains targeted guidance and resources for service providers and health care professionals. The resource also includes information about the National Palliative Care Standards, which provide guidance on best practice palliative care in different settings.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Palliative and end of life care
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care
Palliative Care Australia
/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/end-life-directions-aged-care

End of Life Directions for Aged Care

Guidance

This resource is the ELDAC (End of Life Directions for Aged Care) website. It provides information, guidance and resources for aged care providers and staff supporting palliative care and advance care planning. Information can be accessed by selecting a topic from the ELDAC care model, for example, providing palliative care, responding to deterioration and bereavement. Information can also be filtered using search functions such as role type, quick links, resource type and keywords. 

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Palliative and end of life care
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care
End of Life Directions for Aged Care
/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/recognising-signs-deterioration-persons-mental-state

Recognising Signs of Deterioration in a Person’s Mental State

Paper, Report
Last Updated

This resource provides a framework for recognising signs of mental state deterioration, organised into 5 key indicators: reported change, distress, loss of reality, loss of function, and elevated risk. It supports healthcare providers in monitoring mental health changes to enable timely and effective responses across care settings. This resource may apply to healthcare contexts outside of aged care. Please consider the applicability of this resource to your care setting. 

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Clinical safety
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 3: The Care and Services
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Recognising Signs of Deterioration in a Person’s Mental State
/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-5-moments-hand-hygiene-focus-caring-patient-urinary-catheter

My 5 moments for hand hygiene: focus on caring for a patient with a urinary catheter

Poster
Published date

This resource outlines the ‘5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ with specific considerations for patients with urinary catheters, aiming to minimise infection risks. It provides steps for appropriate hand hygiene before and after touching the patient, performing aseptic procedures, and handling catheter equipment.

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

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
My 5 moments for hand hygiene: focus on caring for a patient with a urinary catheter
/quality-standards/global-strategy-infection-prevention-and-control

Global strategy on infection prevention and control

Guidance

This resource provides a global framework for infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare settings, aiming to reduce healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. It offers strategic directions for achieving measurable improvements by 2030, supporting patient safety, healthcare worker protection, and sustainable health outcomes worldwide.

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

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Global strategy on infection prevention and control
/quality-standards/better-oral-health-residential-care

Better Oral Health - Residential Care

Guidance

This resource provides a structured approach to oral health care in residential aged care, including assessment, care planning, daily oral care, and referral pathways. It includes training, guidelines, and tools to support staff in promoting oral health for older people with complex needs.

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
Assessment and planning, Clinical safety
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 5.5: Safety of clinical care services
Better Oral Health - Residential Care
/quality-standards/infection-control-guidelines

Infection Control Guidelines

Guidance
Last Updated

This resource provides infection control guidelines for managing infectious diseases in care settings, covering protocols for exposure to blood and body fluids, managing respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, and handling high-risk infections. It includes standard precautions, waste disposal, and cleaning procedures to maintain safety and reduce transmission.

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
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Infection Control Guidelines
/quality-standards/participating-consumers

Participating with consumers

Fact sheet
Last Updated

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.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Assessment and planning, Care coordination and transitions, Medication management, Clinical safety, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Palliative and end of life care
Standard
3: The Care and Services, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
3.1 Assessment and planning, 3.4: Planning and coordination of funded aged care services, 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
Participating with consumers
/quality-standards/my-healthy-home-home-health-factsheet-series

My healthy home: home health factsheet series

Fact sheet
Published date

This resource offers accessible health information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on preventing illness in the home. It includes room-based fact sheets with actions to improve environmental health, available as individual sheets or a workbook. This resource includes state-specific information and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment, Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.1a: Environment – services delivered in the individual’s home, 4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
My healthy home: home health factsheet series
/quality-standards/management-peripheral-intravenous-catheters-clinical-care-standard

Management of Peripheral Intravenous Catheters Clinical Care Standard

Guidance
Published date

This resource is the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care's Clinical Care Standard for the management of Peripheral Intravenous Catheters (PIVCs), aiming to reduce complications and improve care quality. It includes quality statements on PIVC assessment, insertion, maintenance, and removal, supporting best practices in all healthcare settings. The standard applies to all contexts where PIVCs are used, with the term ‘patients’ encompassing people across various healthcare settings, including hospitals, emergency services, and community care. 

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Infection prevention and control
Standard
4: The Environment, 5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
4.2: Infection prevention and control, 5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services
Management of Peripheral Intravenous Catheters Clinical Care Standard
/quality-standards/resource-sheets-workers-social-emotional-and-cultural-wellbeing-online-resources-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people

Resource sheets for workers – Social, emotional and cultural wellbeing online resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Guidance

This resource offers a collection of topic-based resource sheets for workers, covering wellbeing issues relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It includes information on topics like alcohol, anxiety, cultural identity, depression, and trauma. The resources consist of videos, fact sheets, podcasts, apps, and websites to support practitioners and the wellbeing workforce.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Clinical safety, Assessment and planning, Person-centred care
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 3: The Care and Services, 1: The Individual
Outcomes
5.5: Safety of clinical care services, 1.1: Person-centred care, 3.1 Assessment and planning
Resource sheets for workers – Social, emotional and cultural wellbeing online resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People