Australian Resources

When providing care, context matters. It affects many aspects of care including what is appropriate and what is possible. In this section you will find links to websites, projects, organisations, and journals relevant to the Australian aged care sector.

Government websites and funded agencies

• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC): A Commission which protects and improves the safety, health, wellbeing, and quality of life for people receiving aged care services
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC): A Commission which leads and coordinates key improvements in safety and quality in health care across Australia
• Charter of Aged Care Rights
• Department of Health and Aged Care: For resources and tools that are focused on both palliative care and aged care
  • Aged Care Diversity Framework initiative
  • Aged care reforms and reviews
  • Aged care workforce
  • Entering residential aged care for palliative care (AN-ACC Class 1)
  • The National Palliative Care Strategy 2018
• Department of Veterans' Affairs Australia (DVA)
• Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
• Training.gov.au: Australia’s national training register on nationally recognised training (NRT), and registered training organisations (RTOs)

Aged care projects

• Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA): A new research centre funded to conduct research with aged care workers, providers, researchers, and people who use aged care services
• Aged Care Transition to Practice Program (ACTTP): A program which provides nurses with mentoring, training, and support at the start of their career in aged care
• Comprehensive Palliative Care in Aged Care measure: A measure which aims to help older Australians living in residential aged care who are nearing the end of their life
• Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission: A mission investing $185 million to support older Australians to maintain their health and quality of life as they age, live independently for longer, and access quality care when they need it

National palliative care projects and initiatives

• Advance Care Planning Australia: Supports health practitioners, care workers, and students to increase knowledge and skills in advance care planning
• Advance Project: Provides practical, evidence-based resources and training for aged care and primary care professionals to initiate advance care planning and palliative care
• CarerHelp: Provides free information, resources and advice, including managing grief and loss, to help when caring for a loved one.
• CareSearch: Delivers palliative care evidence and tools for health professionals, and provides information about death and dying for the whole community
• caring@home: Resources to support health professionals, Australian-wide clinical services, and families to improve palliative care delivery in the home for all Australians
• Comprehensive Palliative Care in Aged Care measure: A measure which aims to help older Australians living in residential aged care who are nearing the end of their life
• End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC): A project which provides information, guidance, and resources to health professionals and aged care workers to support palliative care and advance care planning to improve the care of older Australians
• End of Life Law for Clinicians (ELLC)
  This project helps clinicians learn about end-of-life law and the effects this has on end-of-life care and palliative care for patients.
• Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care Program: A project which aims to improve palliative care coordination through Primary Health Networks (PHNs)
• Indigenous Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (IPEPA): Prepares mainstream and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals to deliver high quality, holistic, and culturally responsive palliative care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their loved ones.
• LGBTIQ+ Health Australia : Works with the palliative care sector to provide appropriate services and increase knowledge and awareness of palliative care within LGBTIQ+ communities.
• palliAGED: Provides palliative care evidence and practice information resources for the Australian aged care sector, and provides support for health practitioners, care practitioners, resource developers, and for older Australians, their families, and friends.
• Palliative Aged Care Outcomes Program (PACOP): A project with the primary objective of systematically improving palliative and end of life care through routine assessment of residents’ needs.
• Palliative Care Pharmacist Foundation Training Program : A program that will equip pharmacists with the knowledge and skills to support patients receiving palliative care in the community, including aged care.
• Palliative Care Service Navigation Pilot : A trial of a patient navigator model to strengthen access to palliative and end of life care pathways in South Australia.
• Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA): A program which helps health professionals to deliver palliative care through training placements and interactive workshops. The PEPA Aged Care program brings specialist educators to work onsite with staff at aged care services for a period of 3-4 days.

Australian professional and research organisations

• Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG): Aims to improve the experience of ageing by connecting gerontological research, policy, and practice
• National Aged Care Alliance (NACA): A representative body of peak national organisations in aged care, comprising consumer groups, providers, unions, and health professionals
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP): Resources and guidelines to support general practitioners (GPs) in providing world-class healthcare, and to help with the unique issues that affect their practices

Selected Australian support organisations

• Alliance for Forgotten Australians (AFA): Promotes the recognition and healing for Australians who experienced institutional or other out-of-home care as children and young people in the last century
• Australian Pain Society (APS)
• Brain Injury Australia
• Cancer Council
• Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN): Offers support to people who have grown up in orphanages, children's homes, missions, foster care, and other child welfare institutions in Australia and New Zealand
• Carers Australia
• Child Migrants Trust
• Dementia Australia
• Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI): A global organisation promoting and supporting evidence-based decisions that improve health and health service delivery
• Meaningful Ageing Australia:  Aims to advance the spiritual care and wellbeing for older Australians
• MND Australia
• Multiple Sclerosis Australia (MS Australia)
• Palliative Care Australia
  • Palliative Care ACTerritory
  • Palliative Care New South Wales (PCNSW)
  • Palliative Care NT
  • Palliative Care Queensland
  • Palliative Care South Australia (PCSA)
  • Palliative Care Tasmania
  • Palliative Care Victoria (PCV)
  • Palliative Care WA
• Spiritual Care Australia

Australian academic journals

• Australian Health Review: Explores health policy and management including healthcare delivery systems, clinical programs, and health financing
• Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing (AJAN): Aims to inform and empower nurses, midwives, and other healthcare professionals to improve the health and wellbeing of all communities
• Australian Journal of General Practice (AJGP): Aims to provide relevant, evidence-based, clearly articulated information to Australian general practitioners (GPs)
• Australian Journal of Rural Health (AJRH): Focused on advancing rural, remote, and regional health practice, research, and outcomes
• Australasian Journal on Ageing (AJA): Aims to communicate the best evidence that influences policy and practice to improve ageing and the lives of older people
• Rural and Remote Health (rrh): Serves rural and remote communities, and publishes articles by rural health practitioners, educators, researchers, and policy makers

Page updated 14 March 2025