Resource library

Outbreak management planning is a key part of infection prevention and control. This document supports both the development of a new outbreak management plan (OMP) and the quality assurance of existing plans. It details common OMP sections to get you started as you tailor your OMP to your service.

This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 July 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

Having a comprehensive and organisation-specific outbreak management plan (OMP) helps your organisation to be prepared for the management of infections and outbreaks within your service. A key part of this readiness is ensuring that your OMP is fit-for-purpose and that everyone across the organisation can implement it if required. One way to maintain readiness and support continuous improvement of your OMP is to run regular drills, or stress tests, of your plan.

This Regulatory Bulletin explains approved providers’ responsibilities relating to COVID-19 vaccinations and infection prevention and control. It details how the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (Commission) is regulating these responsibilities and responding to providers found to be non-compliant.

Joint letter on Winter outbreaks to Board Chairs, Residential Aged Care Providers from the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly and Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM. 

Letter from Commissioner Janet Anderson PSM and Chief Clinical Advisory Dr Melanie Wroth to residential aged care providers and people living in residential aged care homes on the importance of being up to date with COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

Joint letter to approved providers of residential aged care services from the Commission and the Australian Electoral Commission about the 2023 referendum and COVID-19 entry approach for mobile polling staff.

Joint letter from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, Janet Anderson PSM and Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer to all approved providers of residential aged care services on uptake of the COVID-19 booster.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, Janet Anderson, PSM, together with the Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Aged Care, Professor Paul Kelly issued a joint letter to aged care providers to provide advice in preparing a service for the upcoming Easter holiday period and the approaching winter season.

The spread of COVID-19 is increasing across the community and in residential aged care services. Of all the treatment measures available to services, rapid access to oral antivirals could make the biggest difference to consumers if they become infected with COVID-19.

This provider fact sheet helps ensure services are doing everything possible to prevent, prepare for and reduce the impact of a COVID-19 outbreak. It features links to key resources available from the Commission, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and peak bodies.

This fact sheet helps providers understand requirements to appoint an eligible advisor when the Commission issues a Notice to Agree.

The Commission recognises the known physical, psychosocial and nutritional impacts on older people if they experience extended periods of social isolation. This statement outlines what our position is on provider responsibilities relating to visitor access.

On Monday 28 February 2022, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner, Janet Anderson, PSM, sent a letter to approved providers on the COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

This fact sheet summarises observations by the Commission from engagements with residential aged care services that experienced a COVID-19 outbreak in 2021. It has been informed by our monitoring of more than 350 COVID-19 outbreaks at residential aged care services across several states, and our participation in more than 1,500 outbreak management meetings.

We hosted a webinar on 30 August 2021 that revisited some foundation steps providers of residential aged care can take to be ready for a COVID-19 outbreak. We also discussed the changing context of COVID in 2021.

A fact sheet for aged care residents, their families and representatives on your rights relating to COVID-19 restrictions in residential aged care.

This fact sheet provides updated information for providers of aged care on effective infection prevention and control capability. This is critical to the safe, effective delivery of personal and clinical care in aged care. This is particularly the case during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

The Commissioner wrote to approved providers on 7 December 2020 about visitor access in a COVID-normal world

How to stay safe from COVID-19 video is available in 15 different languages. The video aims to help consumers understand the steps they can take to keep themselves safe during the current pandemic. 

These translated guides will help you understand what to expect if someone has COVID-19 in your residential aged care service, including that a number of changes will take place. These changes will be made very quickly. You might be anxious when these changes take place but the aim is to keep you safe.