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Organisations and programs

There are many different organisations providing resources and services for aged care. We have provided links to the national bodies, most of which provide links to their related state and territory organisations.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission 
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission protects and enhances the safety, health, well-being and quality of life of people receiving aged care. The website houses key information for aged care service providers on:

  • Commission Act and Rules
  • Becoming an approved aged care provider
  • The Aged Care Quality Standards
  • Regulatory Bulletins
  • Assessment processes
  • Service Compliance Ratings fact sheet
  • The Charter of Aged Care Rights – Provider information
  • Quality care resources
  • Provider resources
  • Better use of medication in aged care
  • Accreditation fees
  • Complaints process

My Aged Care
My Aged Care provides information on the different types of aged care services available, how eligibility and assessment occurs, referral and support to find service providers and information on the costs of care. Health or aged care professional can use the Make a Referral form to refer patients for an aged care assessment to determine their eligibility for government-funded aged care services.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) 
ACSQHC is a Corporate Commonwealth Entity. It works in partnership with patients, consumers, clinicians, managers, policy makers and healthcare organisations to achieve a sustainable, safe, and high-quality health system. It covers a wide range of clinical healthcare issues.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
The AIHW’s role is to provide meaningful information and statistics for the benefit of the Australian people. It supports GEN, a comprehensive “one–stop shop” for data and information about aged care services in Australia. GEN reports on capacity and activity in the aged care system focusing on the people, their care assessments and the services they use.

Centrelink
Centrelink is part of Services Australia delivers social security payments and services to Australians.

Department of Health and Aged Care
The Department of Health and Aged Care develops and delivers policies and programs and advises the Australian Government on health, aged care, and sport.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs
The DVA provide support, services and information for veterans and their dependents, serving and former serving ADF members, war widow/ers, Australian British Nuclear Tests participants, members of the Australian Federal Police and students, teachers, and historians.

Medicare Australia
Medicare is Australia’s universal health care system.

Aged Care Transition to Practice Program
The Aged Care Transition to Practice (ACTTP) program provides new aged care nurses with mentoring, training, and support

Community Visitors Scheme (CVS)
The CVS arranges volunteer visits to older people to provide friendship and companionship. Visits are available to anyone receiving government-subsidised residential aged care or Home Care Packages.
 
Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) Program
The Multi-Purpose Services Program combines funding for aged care services from the Australian Government with state and territory health services. This joint initiative means small regional and remote communities can offer flexible aged care services that meet the needs of their community.

National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program (QI Program)
The QI Program collects quality indicator data from residential aged care services every 3 months. Over time, this data will provide an evidence base that can be used to improve the quality of services provided to care recipients. The program collects quality indicator data from residential aged care services every 3 months. Over time, this data will provide an evidence base that can be used to improve the quality of services provided to care recipients.

Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS)
The Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) aims to reduce abuse and neglect in Australian Government-subsidised residential aged care. It builds providers’ skills so they can better manage, respond to, and prevent incidents and better support care recipients.

Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) Program
The STRC Program provides services to older people for up to 8 weeks to help them delay or avoid long-term care.

Transition Care Program
This program helps older people get back on their feet after a hospital stay. It provides short-term care for up to 12 weeks, including social work, nursing support, personal care and allied health care. State and territory governments are the approved providers of transition care.

Wellness and reablement initiative
For Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) service to remain eligible for government funding, they need to embed wellness and reablement services into their organisation. 

Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA)
ACCPA is the national Industry Association for aged care providers offering retirement living, seniors housing, residential care, home care, community care and related services.

Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS)
ACHS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving quality in health care, representing governments, consumers, and peak health bodies throughout Australia

National Aged Care Alliance (the Alliance)
The Alliance is a representative body of peak national organisations in aged care, including consumer groups, providers, unions, and health professionals, working together to determine a more positive future for aged care in Australia. They address four broad issues: consumer rights; quality of care; workforce planning; and short and long term financing of aged care.

National Health Services Directory
The National Health services Directory is a comprehensive national directory of health services and provider information covering GPs, pharmacies, hospitals, and emergency departments.

Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning Australia (ACPA)
ACPA is a government-funded program to help people maintain control of future medical treatment. It helps them prepare for a time when they may not be able to communicate health care decisions

End of Life Law in Australia (ELLC)
End of Life Law in Australia provides accurate and practical information to assist you to navigate the challenging legal issues that can arise with end of life decision-making. It is a broad introduction to end of life laws in each Australian State and Territory to help you know the law, and your rights and duties.

Continence

Continence Foundation of Australia
The Continence Foundation of Australia is the peak national organisation working to improve the quality of life of all Australians affected by incontinence.

Continence Aids Payment Scheme (CAPS)
The Continence Aids Payment Scheme (CAPS) provides a payment to help with some of the costs of your continence products.

Dementia 

Dementia Australia
Dementia Australia represents the 487,500 Australians living with dementia and the almost 1.6 million Australians involved in their care.


National Dementia Support Program (NDSP)
The NDSP is an Australian Government-funded program that directly supports people living with dementia and their families and carers

National Dementia Helpline
The National Dementia Helpline is a free confidential phone and email information and support service. It operates from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday excluding public holidays.
Ph: 1800 100 500

Dementia and Aged Care Services (DACS) Fund
The DACS Fund helps the aged care sector to support senior Australians who are sick or living with medical condition


Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service (DBMAS)
DBMAS helps staff and carers supporting people living with dementia. This includes assessment, clinical support, care planning, mentoring, linking to current research and a 24-hour help line.

Dementia Training Program
The Dementia Training Program offers a national approach to accredited education, upskilling, and professional development in dementia care.

Severe Behaviour Response Teams (SBRT)
Severe Behaviour Response Teams (SBRT) help aged care providers who care for people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in residential aged care settings. They provide expert and timely advice when needed.

Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP)
The SDCP funds specialist dementia care units in residential aged care homes. The units provide specialised care to people with very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. They aim to reduce or stabilise symptoms so that people can move into less intensive care settings.

Palliative Care 

Palliative Care Australia (PCA)
PCA is the national peak body for palliative care. It represents all those who work towards high quality palliative care for all Australians who need it.

Comprehensive Palliative Care in Aged Care measure
The Comprehensive Palliative Care in Aged Care measure aims to help older Australians living in residential aged care, nearing the end of their life.

End of Life Direction for Aged Care (ELDAC)
ELDAC provides information, guidance, and resources to health professionals and aged care workers on palliative care and advance care planning to improve the care of older Australians.

palliAGED – palliative care aged care evidence
palliAGED provides palliative care evidence and practice information resource for the Australian aged care sector. It provides support for health and care practitioners as well as resource developers. The website also provides trustworthy information for older Australians, their families and friends.

Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care measure 
The Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care measure aims to improve palliative care coordination through Primary Health Networks (PHNs).

Grief

Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (ACGB)
The ACGB is an independent, not for profit organisation. It builds the capacity of individuals, organisations and communities in order to enhance well-being following adverse life events. It has specific resources for aged care.

Phoenix Australia
Phoenix Australia offers information and tools to support those who have had traumatic experiences, and trauma recovery resources for carers and aged care providers.

Rehabilitation and Reablement

Wellness and reablement initiative
Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services need to embed wellness and reablement services into their organisation to remain eligible for government funding.

Technology

Aged Care Industry IT Council (ACIITC)
ACIITC aims to improve the quality of care for our clients through supporting and educating aged care service providers about the efficiencies and service improvement capabilities that well managed IT system deployments can achieve.

Australian Digital Health Agency
The Australian Digital Health Agency is offering healthcare software developers financial assistance to design new or enhanced My Health Record–related functionality in clinical information systems and electronic medications management systems used by residential aged care facilities.
 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
This program supports culturally appropriate aged care to older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The service providers in this program deliver a mix of aged care services, mainly in rural and remote areas.

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
NACCHO is the national leadership body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia.

CareLeavers

Alliance for Forgotten Australians (AFA) 
The AFA promotes the interests of the estimated 500,000 people known as Forgotten Australians, who experienced institutional or other out-of-home care as children and young people in the last century in Australia, many of whom suffered physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse while in ‘care’.

Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN)
Care Leavers includes people who grew up in ‘Care’ such as Orphanages, Children’s Homes, Missions and Foster Care. CLAN advocates and campaigns for justice and redress for all Care Leavers and for an independent redress scheme for all implicated.

Culturally and linguistically diverse

Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC)
PICAC supports aged care service providers to deliver care that meets the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people. You can access their workshops, training, information sessions, fact sheets and guides.

Federation of Ethic Communities Council of Australia (FECCA)
FECCA is the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Its role is to advocate on issues that affect ethnic communities to government, business and our broader society to promote the ongoing success story of multicultural Australia.

Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing
The Centre provides expertise in culturally inclusive policy and practices for the aged services sector.

Disability

Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) Program
The DSOA program supports older people with disability who received specialist disability services from the Continuity of Support (CoS) Programme, but were not eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Sign language interpreting for Australian Government–subsidised aged care services
If you provide Australian Government–subsidised aged care services, you can access free sign language interpreting services to support clients who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.

Homeless

Homelessness Australia
This organisation provides fact sheets on various population groups, and information on where to go for help if a person is experiencing homelessness in each Australian state and territory. 

Mission Australia
Mission Australia also provides information about homelessness in Australia, organises housing programs, and provides a service directory search function. 

Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG)
Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) is an organisation specialising in the housing needs of older Australians, and National Shelter may also provide useful information on homelessness in Australia. 

Veterans 360 (V360) Australia
Veterans 360 (V360) Australia is a charity conducting outreach, raising awareness and providing ongoing support specifically for homeless veterans throughout Australia.

LGBTIQ+

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia supports healthy lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender, intersex, queer and other sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse people and communities throughout Australia and the world, free from stigma and discrimination.  The Silver Rainbow project is designed to improve the experiences of LGBTI people as they age and enter the Australian aged care system

Rural and remote

Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH)
SARRAH is a grassroots’ organisation advocating on behalf of rural and remote Australian communities in order for them to have access to allied health services which support equitable and sustainable health and well-being.

CRANAplus
CRANAplus is a grassroots, not-for-profit, membership-based organisation that provides a wide range of services, support and opportunities to nurses, midwives and other health pro­fes­sion­als to ensure the deliv­ery of safe, high qual­i­ty pri­ma­ry healthcare to remote and iso­lat­ed areas of Australia.

Australian Rural Health Education Network (AHREN)
ARHEN is the national association and peak body for the 17 University Departments of Rural Health located in rural and remote Australia. It promotes the health and wellbeing of people in rural and remote Australia by delivering high-quality health education, research and advocacy

Spirituality and faith

Meaningful Ageing Australia
Meaningful Ageing Australia provides education and resources for evidence-based spiritual care for the ageing population in the context of health, aged care, and community services.

Spiritual Health Association
The Spiritual Health Association is the peak body for spiritual care in the health sector. Their focus is on advocacy for and promotion of compassionate, person-centred spiritual care in health services. 

Veterans

Veterans Home Care (VHC)
The Veterans’ Home Care (VHC) Program provides a small amount of practical help at home so you can continue to live independently. It is not designed to meet complex or high-level care needs. If you have long-term high-level personal care needs, you may be referred to VHC’s Community Nursing Program.

Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP)
The Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP) provides aids, equipment and modifications to help veterans (Gold Card and White Card) to live safely and independently.