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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 While we complete updating of our website, including draft guidance and other materials, to align with the new laws, providers are advised to refer to the new Act and Rules for any required clarification of their obligations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 17 of 17 result(s)
/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/familiar-places-webinar-2-bedrooms-and-dining-areas

Familiar Places Webinar 2 – Bedrooms and Dining Areas

Webinar
Published date

This webpage provides a video webinar focused on familiar places, such as bedrooms and dining areas, for dementia care environments. It offers insights into how these spaces can be designed to support the wellbeing of people living with dementia, with a particular emphasis on creating comfortable and familiar settings.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Food and nutrition, Delivering comprehensive care and services, Environment
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
6.4: Dining experience, 4.1b: Environment – services delivered other than in the individual’s home
Familiar Places Webinar 2 – Bedrooms and Dining Areas
/quality-standards/medication-safety-transitions-care-technical-report

Medication safety in transitions of care: technical report

Report
Published date

This resource outlines key actions to improve medication safety during transitions of care, focusing on reducing medication discrepancies and patient harm. It emphasises structured reconciliation, workforce training, patient engagement, and enhanced information systems.

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

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Medication management
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines
Medication safety in transitions of care: technical report
/quality-standards/medication-safety-polypharmacy-technical-report

Medication safety in polypharmacy: technical report

Report
Published date

This resource provides guidance on safe medication management in polypharmacy, focusing on patient-centred approaches, team collaboration, and systematic reviews for people with long-term conditions. It includes tools and case studies to support health professionals.

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

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Medication management
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines
Medication safety in polypharmacy: technical report
/quality-standards/medicine-safety-aged-care

Medicine safety: Aged care

Report
Published date

This report highlights medicine safety issues in aged care settings, detailing the prevalence of medicine-related problems, inappropriate prescribing, underuse of medicines, medicine regimen complexities, administration errors, and challenges during transitions of care. It provides opportunities for improvements and emphasises the need for safer medication practices, improved pharmacist involvement, and better regulatory frameworks to protect older people from medication harm.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Medication management
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines
Medicine safety: Aged care
/quality-standards/national-consensus-statement-essential-elements-safe-and-high-quality-end-life-care

National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care

Report
Published date

This resource outlines the National Consensus Statement on essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care in Australia. It provides guiding principles, care processes, and organisational processes, focusing on person-centred communication, multidisciplinary collaboration, and culturally appropriate care. The statement is designed for healthcare workers, service executives, and policy makers to enhance end-of-life care delivery. 

Author
Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care
Key Theme
Palliative and end of life care
Standard
5: Clinical Care
Outcomes
5.7: Palliative care and end-of-life care
National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care
/quality-standards/dip-or-not-dip-australian-residential-aged-care-services-project-findings

To Dip or Not to Dip in Australian residential aged care services - project findings

Report
Published date

This visual abstract presents outcomes from a quality improvement project aimed at reducing low-value urine dipstick testing in aged care services. It included nurse education, implementing clinical pathways for UTI identification, and evaluating urinalysis practices and antibiotic prescribing. The findings demonstrate improved antibiotic prescribing appropriateness for UTIs over a 6-month follow-up period. 

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
Infection prevention and control
Standard
5: Clinical Care, 4: The Environment
Outcomes
5.2: Preventing and controlling infections in delivering clinical care services, 4.2: Infection prevention and control
TDONTD project findings - thumbnail
/quality-standards/aged-care-workforce-planning-and-support-programs

Aged care workforce planning and support programs

Webinar
Published date

This resource provides information about aged care workforce planning and support programs available to help providers. It covers initiatives such as the Business and Workforce Advisory Service and the Remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Service Development Assistance Panel. 

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
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Workforce and human resources management
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.9: Human resource management
Aged care workforce planning and support programs
/quality-standards/analysis-survey-food-and-dining-experiences-residential-aged-care-services-final-report

Analysis of a survey of food and dining experiences in residential aged care services - Final report

Report
Published date

This resource provides insights into food, dining, and nutrition in residential aged care services. It is based on a survey conducted to understand residents’ dining experiences, preferences, and the quality of food and service provided. The findings highlight the importance of fresh, familiar meals, flexible mealtimes, and a homelike dining environment to enhance the quality of life for older people. 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
Standard
6: Food and Nutrition
Outcomes
6.4: Dining experience
Thumbnail food and dining experiences
/quality-standards/sirs-insights-reports

SIRS insights reports

Report

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.

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Incident management system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.5: Incident management
SIRS insights reports
/quality-standards/sector-performance

Sector performance

Report

This resource provides quarterly reports on the performance of the aged care sector, including data on residential care audits, home services quality reviews, complaints, and Serious Incident Response Scheme notifications. The reports offer insights into sector-wide performance and help providers monitor compliance and improve service 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. 

Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Sector performance
/quality-standards/quality-aged-care-gen-data-page

Quality in aged care - Gen Data Page

Guidance, Report
Last Updated

This resource provides an overview of quality indicators and consumer experience surveys in aged care. It details mandatory quality metrics, including physical and clinical indicators, and feedback from people in aged care, offering insights into service performance and supporting informed choices 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.

Author
External resource
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Quality in aged care - Gen Data Page
/quality-standards/measurement-tools-assessing-quality-life-consumer-satisfaction-and-consumer-experience-across-residential-and-home-aged-care-summary-report

Measurement tools for assessing quality of life, consumer satisfaction and consumer experience across residential and in-home aged care: Summary Report

Report
Last Updated

This report reviews validated tools for measuring quality of life, consumer satisfaction, and experience in aged care, assessing their suitability for residential and home care. It provides an evidence-based ranking of tools to support aged care providers in quality improvement, accountability, and aligning with the National Aged Care Quality Indicator Program. 

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
External resource
Key Theme
Choice, independence and quality of life
Standard
1: The Individual
Outcomes
1.3: Choice, independence and quality of life
Measurement tools for assessing quality of life: Summary Report
/quality-standards/person-centred-care-practice-webinar-series

Person-centred care in practice webinar series

Webinar
Published date

This resource offers a series of webinars on person-centred care, providing practical examples from Australian healthcare settings. It is designed for health service managers, clinicians, and consumer engagement staff, promoting strategies and tools to enhance person-centred practices. 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
Key Theme
Person-centred care
Standard
1: The Individual
Outcomes
1.1: Person-centred care
Person-centred care in practice webinar series
/quality-standards/complaints-about-aged-care-services-report

Complaints about aged care services report

Report
Published date

This resource provides reports on complaints about aged care services, offering insights for providers to improve complaint handling. It includes data, case studies, and guided questions to help providers address concerns in both residential and home care settings, supporting better outcomes for people receiving 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
Feedback and complaints management system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.6a: Complaints and feedback management for aged care workers, 2.6b: Complaints and feedback management for individuals
Complaints about aged care services report
/quality-standards/provider-governance-policy

Provider Governance Policy

Guidance, Policy
Published date

Under the new Act, registered providers will need to meet certain governance obligations.

Our Provider Governance Policy outlines our expectations of providers and guiding principles of good governance. It includes:

  • definitions and principles of good governance
  • provider governance obligations
  • how we collect provider governance information  
  • how we respond to provider governance risks.
Provider Governance Policy  (PDF  2.07 MB)
Author
Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Provider governance policy
/quality-standards/quarterly-financial-report-resources

Quarterly Financial Report resources

Guidance, Report
Last Updated

This resource provides information and templates for the Quarterly Financial Report (QFR), required for approved aged care providers. It includes data definitions, templates, frequently asked questions, and guidance for reporting on finances, labour costs, and other operational data. 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
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
Key Theme
Accountability and quality system
Standard
2: The Organisation
Outcomes
2.3: Accountability, quality system and policies and procedures
Quarterly Financial Report resources