Aged Care Code of Conduct

Everyone has the right to a safe, respectful and enjoyable aged care experience.

The Aged Care Code of Conduct (Code) describes how registered providers (providers), their responsible persons (for example, board members and Chief Executive Officers), and aged care workers (including volunteers) must behave and treat people accessing funded aged care services.

It helps make sure older people have confidence and trust in the quality and safety of aged care they access.

The Code:

supports an older person's right to personal choice, dignity and respect
promotes kind, honest and respectful behaviour
keeps older people accessing funded aged care services safe from harm.

Watch our video explaining the Code.

Read Transcript - Aged Care Code of Conduct, For registered providers, associated providers, their workers and responsible persons

Expected behaviour

The Code outlines 8 behaviours expected of providers, responsible persons and aged care workers. They include

Act with respect for individuals’ rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making in accordance with applicable laws and conventions.
Act in a way that treats individuals with dignity and respect and values their diversity.
Act with respect for the privacy of individuals.
Deliver funded aged care services in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill.
Act with integrity, honesty and transparency.
Promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that may impact the quality and safety of funded aged care services.
Deliver funded aged care services free from:

all forms of violence, discrimination, exploitation, neglect and abuse
sexual misconduct.

Take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to:

all forms of violence, discrimination, exploitation, neglect and abuse
sexual misconduct.

Registered provider obligations

Providers must act in a way that's respectful, kind and consistent with the Code.

They must also support, equip and prepare aged care workers and responsible persons to comply with the Code. Providers must take reasonable steps to make sure all aged care workers (including volunteers) and responsible persons they employ or otherwise engage, comply with the Code. This includes those aged care workers employed or otherwise engaged (including as a volunteer) by an associated provider of the registered provider or engaged via an employment service, by the registered provider.

Aged care worker obligations

Aged care workers have the most contact with older people accessing funded aged care services. Their behaviour must always help older people they deliver care for feel safe and supported.

They must always act in a way that's respectful, kind and consistent with the Code.

Responsible persons obligations

Responsible persons play important roles in the delivery of safe quality care, including those that are responsible for:

executive decisions for a provider’s organisation
overall management of a service delivery branch or residential care home.

Their behaviour must also be consistent with the Code.

What we can do

We can take action if we find that a provider, a responsible person or an aged care worker delivering care has done something that isn't consistent with the Code.

In severe cases, we may:

ban an aged care worker, responsible person or registered provider from being involved in the delivery of aged care
suspend, revoke or not renew the registration of a provider.

To find out more about the banning orders we've made, read our Aged Care Banning Orders Register.