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Aged Care Quality Standards

What are the Aged Care Quality Standards?

On 1 July 2019, the Quality Standards came into effect. They apply to all Australian Government subsidised aged care services. The Quality Standards clearly define what good aged care should look like.

The Quality Standards make it easier to check that people receive good care. Good care is not about ‘ticking boxes’. It’s about them caring for you and your individual needs.

Watch the video below to see what the new Quality Standards means for Aged Care.

There are eight standards, and each one is about an aspect of care that contributes to your safety, health and well-being. The graphic  shows you which part of your care these standards relate to, or you can see the list below:

  1. Consumer dignity and choice
  2. Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers
  3. Personal care and clinical care
  4. Services and supports for daily living
  5. Organisation’s service environment
  6. Feedback and complaints
  7. Human resources

Most people know what good care feels like

The staff are friendly and respectful, and they respond to your particular needs. You are well cared for by people who know their jobs. You have people to talk to about the things that matter to you. The organisation providing the care is well-run.

What you can expect in aged care

It doesn’t matter whether you are getting care at home or you are living in a residential service. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, your life experience, identity, beliefs or culture. Every person receiving care has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to have their personal and clinical needs attended to.

If you believe your care isn’t up to the standard that you expect, let someone know. Raising concerns isn’t ‘being difficult’, it is a normal and important part of service delivery.

What you can do if you have a concern

You and your family should feel comfortable that you can raise questions and issues with your provider if you feel your care isn’t up to standard. If you don’t feel comfortable talking about these issues with your aged care provider, you can contact the Commission and other services may be able to help you.

You can contact the Commission to give feedback about the quality of care and services you have received. This is different to making a complaint. This information helps us in accrediting, assessing and monitoring services against the Quality Standards. To provide feedback, please call us on 1800 951 822 or email us at Audit.Feedback@agedcarequality.gov.au.

You can also contact us to raise concerns about the quality of care and services you have received. Raising concerns provides an opportunity for aged care services to become aware of issues, find solutions and improve their care. More information and contact details can be found here. 

If you are not sure about raising an issue, advocates are available who can help you work out what your rights are and what your options may be. You can speak to an advocate by calling 1800 700 600 or visiting the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) website.