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.
Dementia Australia
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.
International Dysphagia Diet Initiative - Patient Handouts
This resource provides handouts tailored for people with feeding, chewing, or swallowing difficulties and their carers. It explains the IDDSI framework, describing food texture levels and appropriate testing methods. Separate versions are available for adults and children, each detailing recommended food textures to support safe swallowing practices.
This resource was developed internationally and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
International Dysphagia Diet Initiative - Framework Documents
This resource provides the IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) framework, including testing methods, detailed level definitions, audit tools, and implementation guides across language regions. It supports consistent application and understanding of diet textures for people with dysphagia, aiding caregivers in managing dietary needs safely and effectively.
This resource was developed internationally and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Adult diet specifications
This resource provides specifications for adult diets tailored to inpatient use in NSW hospitals, including allergy-specific and therapeutic requirements. Although intended for inpatients, it can serve as general guidance for dietitians and food service providers in creating meal plans for diverse health needs. This resource applies to healthcare contexts outside of aged care.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care Homes - Swallowing and food textures
This resource provides guidelines on managing swallowing difficulties in aged care by using texture-modified diets and thickened fluids. It explains various food texture levels and fluid consistencies for safe swallowing, offers practical meal preparation tips, and highlights the importance of regular reassessment by a speech pathologist
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual for Aged Care
This manual offers practical guidelines on food and nutrition best practices in aged care homes, covering menu planning, meal enjoyment, hydration, and malnutrition prevention. It includes checklists, screening tools, and dietary considerations tailored to the needs of older people.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Nutrition for older people
This resource provides nutrition guidelines and support for older people to prevent malnutrition, reduce falls risk, and promote independence. It includes meal planning, dietary tips, and training for service providers, especially those supporting home care.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Standardised care processes
This resource offers evidence-based standardised care processes for aged care providers, covering high-risk clinical areas such as falls, pain, incontinence, and dehydration. It provides structured guidelines to support best practices, ensuring consistent and safe care for older people in residential settings.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Care Coordination
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.
Informed consent
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.
How to navigate transitions in care
This resource offers tools and strategies for navigating care transitions for people living with dementia. It provides support to hospital, aged care staff, and family carers, ensuring that the unique needs of those with dementia are met during transitions, such as moving from hospital to aged care or home.
Fact sheet - Principles of safe and high-quality transitions of care
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.
Residential aged care food services discussion paper
This paper presents a high-level overview of contemporary evidence regarding food services in residential aged care settings.
Frequently asked questions about consent
This fact sheet covers the frequently asked questions about consent in aged care.
Communication at clinical handover
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.
Communicating for Safety
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.
Food for thought - positive stories
This resource shares positive stories about food, nutrition, and dining improvements in aged care facilities. It highlights initiatives that enhance the dining experience, including resident involvement in meal planning, use of fresh and seasonal ingredients, and creating more social and enjoyable mealtime environments. These stories demonstrate best practices and innovative approaches to improve resident satisfaction and wellbeing.
Food, nutrition & dining: resources for workers
This resource provides aged care workers with tools to enhance food, nutrition, and dining experiences for people in their care. It includes practical guides on offering choice, managing swallowing difficulties, promoting oral health, and creating an enjoyable dining environment, all while ensuring adherence to aged care 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.
Food, nutrition & dining: resources for providers
This resource provides tools and guidance for aged care providers to ensure quality food, nutrition, and dining experiences. It includes hotlines, resources for dining, choice, swallowing, and oral health, as well as webinars, research findings, and practical tips to support older adults' wellbeing and meet care 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.
Transitioning to Residential Aged Care: Loss and Grief
This resource explores the emotional impact of transitioning into residential aged care, focusing on loss and grief experienced by older people and their families. It highlights the common emotional challenges, such as fear, loss of independence, and guilt, and provides strategies to support emotional well-being during this difficult transition.
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.