Aged care Quality Standard for residential aged care
We have included a dedicated food and nutrition Quality Standard (Standard 6) in the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. This standard will include the following expectation statement for older people:
'I receive plenty of food and drinks that I enjoy. Food and drinks are nutritious, appetising and safe, and meet my needs and preferences. The dining experience is enjoyable, includes variety and supports a sense of belonging.'
The standards start on 1 July 2025 when the new Aged Care Act takes effect. All residential aged care providers in Australia must comply with this standard from this date.
Find out more about the:
Meal obligation for home and community respite settings
We are developing new requirements for providers delivering meals to older people at home and in the community. This meal obligation aims to make sure meals are:
- nutritious
- appetising
- support the needs and preferences of older people.
The new requirements will start on 1 July 2025, following consultation. We will publish guidance and resources to help providers get ready.
Food, Nutrition and Dining Advisory Support Unit
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s (ACQSC) Food, Nutrition and Dining Advisory Support Unit:
- manages targeted assessment contacts to aged care homes each year, with 1 in 10 of the highest risk visits to include dietitians
- builds residential aged care providers’ capability by linking them to education programs and resources
- works with Dementia Australia to promote nutrition and food enjoyment for people living with dementia.
Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline
Aged care providers, workers and residents and their family members can call the Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline to speak with professionals to discuss issues, ideas or concerns they may have about providing an enjoyable food, nutrition and dining experience.
The Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline is available on 1800 844 044.
Transparency and accountability
To improve transparency and accountability, we publish information from aged care providers about food and nutrition. This helps to measure and monitor improvements over time.
Find a provider – food information
We publish a range of food and nutrition information on the My Aged Care Find a provider tool. Older people and their families can use this to compare food service at different aged care homes. Information includes:
- how and where providers prepare food
- how much aged care homes spend on food
- whether current residents like the food, which is gathered through the Residents’ Experience Survey where we ask at least 20% of residents (or their representatives) each year: ‘Do you like the food here?’
Quarterly reporting
All residential aged care providers must report on how much they spend on food and nutrition through the Quarterly Financial Report (QFR). The reporting covers:
- the food preparation model, including catering type and location
- food catering costs, including whether food and ingredients are classified as ‘fresh’
- food preparation hours
- oral nutrition supplements
- oral health living costs
- allied health costs and hours.
See the QFR food and nutrition reporting explanatory notes for guidance on completing QFRs.
Other published food resources
We also publish:
Quality indicators reporting
Approved providers of residential aged care services must report data to the National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator Program every 3 months.
Food and nutrition can affect the following quality indicators:
- pressure injuries
- unplanned weight loss
- consecutive unplanned weight loss
- falls and major injury.
This reporting helps providers improve the quality of their services.
Referring providers
We refer residential aged care services who spend less than $10 per resident per day on food and ingredients to the ACQSC.
The ACQSC decides on appropriate action after considering information such as:
- quarterly reporting information
- complaints
- residents’ experience data
- quality indicator data.
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