Resource library

The Complaints about aged care services – Year in review (July 2023-June 2024) report explores the complaints we have received about aged care providers in 2023-24.

In this report, we draw attention to clear patterns and trends in the complaints made about residential care and home services respectively.

The report also covers:

A report on the outcomes of our public consultation on draft guidance documents on the new strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.

In the lead up to the conference, we hosted a day of pre-conference workshops focused on best-practice approaches to delivering aged care. 

The 9 workshops were an opportunity for providers to come together for an informal conversation with Commission executives and peers on a range of topics. 

This report is specifically for people receiving aged care and focuses on the experience of those using home services through Home Care Packages or through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.

The report aims to help people to understand what to expect from their home services provider and sets out what to do if things are not going the way they want. The report includes information about aged care standards, data collected from thousands of complaints and useful tips for people receiving care.

The strengthened Quality Standards pilot project final report outlines key insights, findings and lessons learnt from the pilot audits. The report will direct future work to be undertaken by the Commission in preparation for implementation of the strengthened Quality Standards and new audit methodology.

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 July 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.

This report uses data, case studies and guided questions to identify learnings about good complaint handling that can be applied by residential and home services aged care providers in their services. The report also includes questions for boards and senior leadership to help guide complaints handling.

A new learning resource for providers, featuring case study insights from unexplained absence from care incidents reported to the Commission is now available. 

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 July 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards. 

This report provides a comprehensive picture gained through our 2022 Enriching life through care national roundtable series on the sector’s challenges and experiences in improving the aged care experience for consumers. It also reflects valuable feedback we heard from the sector on their experience of engaging with the Commission and how we are responding to the issues raised.

This report showcases innovative and creative examples shared by providers through the 2022 Enriching life through care national roundtable program on how they are improving aged care across the country. 

 

A new learning resource for providers, featuring case study insights from ‘unreasonable use of force’ incidents reported to the Commission is now available. 

The Commission has developed the ‘Home Services Pricing and Agreements – Navigating changes the right way’ guidance for home service providers delivering care and service supports through the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).

Low-value urine dipstick testing practice in aged care is a common, yet modifiable, driver of antibiotic overuse for conditions such as asymptomatic bacteriuria.

The Commission undertook a project to evaluate the feasibility and useability of To Dip Or Not To Dip (TDONTD) in Australian aged care services.

This paper presents a high-level overview of contemporary evidence regarding food services in residential aged care settings.

This discussion paper explores strategies to improve medication management in aged care, including reducing inappropriate prescriptions and promoting non-pharmacological interventions. It reviews current interventions' effectiveness, highlights the use of psychotropic medications, and identifies areas for improving practices through multifaceted and multidisciplinary approaches for better resident outcomes and healthcare quality. 

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. 

This report describes the key themes and findings from online surveys of aged care consumers and aged care providers, regarding best practice models for engagement between consumers and providers.