These resources provide guidance to aged care staff on preventing and controlling infectious outbreaks in residential aged care facilities. Most were produced by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care, as well as individual state governments. They are designed to be used by service providers, supervisors, aged care workers, as well as service users and their families.
Antimicrobial resistance: For aged care
Department of Health and Aged Care
Some infections have higher rates in aged care facilities and so, residents are often prescribed antibiotics. It is important to decrease antimicrobial use to reduce the risk of the rapid rise and spread of organisms that are resistant to many drugs. This resource provides information to address this.
Donning and doffing personal protective equipment in residential aged care
Department of Health and Aged Care
A video that shows and explains how to don and doff personal protective equipment in residential aged care.
Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) clinician resources
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
This website provides AMS resources for aged care clinicians (nurses, personal care attendants, general practitioners), including a video titled 'To dip or not to dip'.
Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) consumer resources
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
This website provides AMS resources for aged care recipients and their families.
Resource Library
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A collection of resources for aged care providers.
Antimicrobial stewardship
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A short video (2:16 min) explaining the relationship between infections, antimicrobials, antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship.
Hand hygiene: Cleaning hands with sanitiser - a video for partners in care
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
This short video (2:27 min) shows the correct way to clean your hands with sanitiser.
Better use of antibiotics - to dip or not to dip?
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A poster depicting an evidence based pathway which aims to improve the diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections (UTI) in older people living in care homes.
Antimicrobial stewardship in aged care
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Information to support the care of older people in health and aged care settings, to improve the safe and appropriate use of antimicrobials, and to decrease the risk of antimicrobial resistance across the community in Australia.
Resources to assist with meeting the Aged Care Quality Standards
National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship
A series of resources and guidance for providers to support the new Aged Care Quality Standards 2018.
ACQSC Online IPC Tool
Residential and home services providers can quickly access key information and reference materials on infection and prevention control (IPC). The IPC online tool provides direct access to the main aged care specific guidance at both federal and state levels. You can filter at the state or territory level, based on the information and location most relevant to your service.
Australian guidelines for the prevention and control of infection in healthcare 2019
National Health and Medical Research Council
These guidelines are for use by all working in healthcare, including healthcare workers, management, and support staff. They provide a risk management framework to ensure that the basic principles of infection prevention and control can be applied to a wide range of healthcare settings.
Infection prevention and control for aged care
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Overview of infection prevention and control within aged care. Includes guidelines on hand hygiene and vaccinations.
Materials to support improved hand hygiene in Australia
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
This poster is based on the World Health Organization’s My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene approach, which defines the key moments when healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene.
5 moments for hand hygiene poster
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
A poster that supports the National Hand Hygiene Initiative.
5 moments for hand hygiene poster - Ambulatory care settings - Poster 2
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
This poster is based on the World Health Organization’s My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene approach, which defines the key moments when healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene.
Infection prevention and control leads
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Information regarding the requirements of Infection prevention and control leads, training resources and requirements for residential aged care facilities.
Infection prevention and control eLearning modules
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
A suite of eLearning modules to provide information on the principles of infection prevention and control in Australian healthcare settings including aged care.
National hand hygiene brochure: Non-acute
Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Health Care
Brochure to explain the importance of hand hygiene and when this should be performed in the non-acute setting.