The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards (strengthened Quality Standards) are a set of requirements that explain what good safe and quality aged care looks like.
They make sure that the care older people receive:
- is safe and high quality
- meets their needs and preferences
- upholds (supports) their rights.
As part of the new Aged Care Act 2024, the Quality Standards were strengthened and are more detailed and measurable. They replaced the previous Quality Standards in place before the start of the Aged Care Act 2024.
The strengthened Quality Standards
There are 7 strengthened Quality Standards:
- Standard 1: The individual
- Standard 2: The organisation
- Standard 3: The care and services
- Standard 4: The environment
- Standard 5: Clinical care
- Standard 6: Food and nutrition
- Standard 7: The residential community
The structure of each strengthened Quality Standard includes:
- Intent – which describes the intended overall purpose of the Standard.
- Expectation statement – which describes what the older person can expect from you related to that Standard.
- Outcomes – which describe what you will be assessed against.
- Actions – which describe what you can do to meet the outcome.
The strengthened Quality Standards poster for workers gives an overview of the standards and what we expect from you.
How the strengthened Quality Standards apply
Providers are given a registration category of 1 to 6. Their registration category is based on the types of services they provide and what strengthened Quality Standards they need to meet.
Categories 1 to 3
Providers in categories 1 to 3 include:
- Category 1 – home and community services such as domestic assistance, home maintenance and repairs, meals and transport
- Category 2 – assistive technology and home modifications such as equipment and products, and home adjustments
- Category 3 – advisory and support services such as social support and community engagement, hoarding and squalor assistance.
The strengthened Quality Standards don’t apply to providers in categories 1 to 3. However, they still need to meet specific responsibilities, including:
- Statement of Rights
- Aged Care Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct).
Categories 4 to 6
Providers in categories 4 to 6 include:
- Category 4 – personal care or care support in the home or community such as personal care, allied health and therapy, home or community respite, community cottage respite
- Category 5 – nursing care and assistance with transition care
- Category 6 – residential care (including respite).
Providers in these categories must comply with:
- Strengthened Quality Standards
- Category 4 – Quality Standards 1 to 4 (and Standard 5 (Outcome 5.1) if they provide care management and restorative care management)
- Category 5 – Quality Standards 1 to 5
- Category 6 – Quality Standards 1 to 7
- Statement of Rights
- Code of Conduct.
Complying with the strengthened Quality Standards is an ongoing condition of a provider’s registration.
Resources
As an aged care worker, you play an important part in putting the standards into practice at your workplace.
To find out more about what the strengthened Quality Standards mean for you, you can read the Strengthened Quality Standards guidance.
Use the filtering options to get the right information for the type of care you provide, including:
- Quality Standards legislation
- detailed guidance on what each Standard means for you
- tips and key tasks to help you comply.
Fact sheets, videos and posters
These resources can help you understand what we expect of you under the strengthened Quality Standards, and how to show you comply.
- Strengthened Quality Standards fact sheets – for providers
- Strengthened Quality Standards – quick reference guide
- Strengthened Quality Standards – introductory videos
- Strengthened Quality Standards poster – for older people
- Strengthened Quality Standards poster – for workers
Training
Online learning modules and live learning
You can learn about the strengthened Quality Standards on our online learning platform, Alis. We have interactive courses and live learning for providers and workers.
Interactive courses
- The strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards: This series of 8 learning modules helps you understand:
- what we expect of you under the strengthened Quality Standards
- how to provide rights-based, person-centred care in line with the new Aged Care Act.
- Case study series: These courses use case studies to help you understand how to put the strengthened Quality Standards into practice. Using a scenario, you’ll explore the actions you can take to provide care that meets the standards. There are modules for workers in residential and home care services.
Live learning
- The strengthened Quality Standards: preparing for the changes: This live learning session uses case studies to look at how you can apply the strengthened Quality Standards in your workplace.
- The strengthened Quality Standards in practice: Watch a recording of this session to get a summary of the structure and requirements of the strengthened Quality Standards.
Find out more about Alis.
Conversation cards
You can use the questions on each card as prompts for discussing how to apply the standards in your workplace:
