This section will keep you up to date with news in the palliative care sector. Please note that the links below were current at the time of posting, however links may become obsolete as websites update their content.
CareSearch is currently conducting an online survey to find out how health professionals and the community look for and use online health information including online information about palliative and end of life care.
To help ensure that CareSearch can continue to support those at end of life by providing trustworthy, evidence-based information on palliative care to health professionals and the community, we are seeking feedback on this important online resource and invite you to participate in the survey.
Participation is anonymous, and the survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
To participate, please click on the link. https://qualtrics.flinders.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_9QQqppTohdhjdxY
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has established a central repository of resources to help extend understanding of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. The Centre brings together hundreds of hand-picked resources from across the sector, chosen by a panel of experts to help build capability among providers, governing bodies, and workers. It will be updated by 1 July 2025 to reflect key changes made to the draft strengthened Standards. Users can search for resources by using keywords, or filtering by Standard, outcome, audience and theme.
This new framework was developed by Dementia Training Australia and commissioned and funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care to build the dementia capability of the health, disability, and aged care workforces. It outlines the level of competency required by different roles to deliver consistent, comprehensive, and high-quality dementia care to people living with the condition, their families and carers.
The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive supports older people living in residential aged care. The incentive seeks to help them receive quality primary care services from their regular provider and practice. Four vodcast videos have been produced by the Department of Health and Aged Care provide further details about the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive.
Quality indicators are standardised, evidence-based measures used to monitor and evaluate the quality and safety of care. The Australian Consortium for Aged Care developed a Quality Indicator Repository through a series of scoping literature reviews completed between 2022 to 2025. These reviews identified and characterised quality indicators used to measure and evaluate the quality of care for older people across eight key care settings The repository enables you to explore indicators for care issues and across transitions.
The Sector Change Plan for the New Aged Care Act is now available. The plan is a summary of activities underway to help the sector transition to the new Aged Care Act from 1 July.
OPAN is offering free education and information sessions to support providers to meet their obligations under the Charter of Aged Care Rights and Aged Care Quality Standards. Topics include: the rights of older people and provider responsibilities; advocacy and self-advocacy; complaints and the Serious Incidents Response Scheme (SIRS); and identifying and responding to abuse.
Advocates tailor these sessions to meet your specific needs. They can be delivered in community and aged care settings across Australia.
The Government Department of Health and Aged Care have just released the Support at Home program manual to help registered providers navigate their responsibilities under the program's rules and procedures. This comprehensive guide includes information about providing palliative and end-of-life care in the home.
A new version of the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards document (February 2025) is now available. The updated content largely focuses on the responsibilities of home care service providers.
Aged care will need to report on three new staffing quality indicators that come into place on 1 April. The indicators include enrolled nursing, lifestyle officers and allied health. The three new quality indicators measure: