Your guide to the new standards, why they matter, and what they mean for your organisation. 

What are the Aged Care Quality Standards? 

What does it mean to provide truly excellent aged care?  

This was the question at the heart of Australia’s 2019 Aged Care Quality Standards, which sought to guarantee that aged care service providers delivered safe, high-quality care that respected the individual needs and preferences of residents.  

Now, these standards are being reviewed and updated. Following recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, new areas of focus – including food and nutrition, dementia care, diversity, governance, and clinical care – will be incorporated to create a more comprehensive set of standards. 

What are the principles of the new strengthened standards? 

The updated standards set a comprehensive framework for excellence across all aspects of aged care.  

Key requirements include: 

• Upholding dignity, respect and freedom from discrimination while fostering resident autonomy, safety and quality of life (Standard 1) 

• Cultivating an organisational culture focused on continuous quality improvement, stakeholder engagement and data-driven practices (Standard 2) 

• Ensuring all care and services optimise independence, are tailored to individual goals/preferences, and coordinated for maximum effectiveness (Standard 3) 

• Providing a clean, safe, accessible environment with well-maintained equipment and infection control (Standard 4) 

• Delivering evidence-based, person-centred clinical care by qualified staff to meet evolving needs (Standard 5). 

• Choice and personalised dining experiences are provided for residents in aged care homes. Covering menu planning, nutrition, dietary needs, and beyond, the new standards seek to move the industry away from a one-size-fits-all approach to meals and ensure dining is an enjoyable experience tailored to each resident’s preferences. To align with the strengthened Quality Standards, menus must include provisions for residents with specialised dietary needs and those who need support to eat (Standard 6). 

• Residents are supported to maintain relationships and connections with their communities, confident in their continuity of care and security of accommodation (Standard 7). 

In preparation for these new standards, the Australian aged care sector is proactively implementing improvements to provide even better quality care and services throughout the industry. 

How The Pure Food Co supports you in meeting your obligations 

By implementing The Pure Food system, aged care providers demonstrate a process of continuous improvement in care, safety and risk management, and a commitment to enhancing residents’ quality of life and enjoyment. 

“It is particularly important that providers engage with older people about what and how they like to eat and drink, deliver choice and meals that are full of flavour, appetising and nutritious (including for older people with texture modified diets), and support older people to consume as much as they want and exercise dignity of risk.”  

Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards Final draft November 2023 

The new standards emphasise person-centred, flexible dining that enhances residents’ quality of life through choice, socialisation, and catering to individual preferences—including for those with chewing or swallowing challenges. 

Catering to various flavours and dietary needs, The Pure Food system enables aged care providers to meet and exceed the Strengthened Standards, providing nutritious, delicious texture-modified foods. 

Here’s how:  

• Pure Foods’ shaped, texture-modified meals are of restaurant quality (following Standard 6.3.3) and offer a diverse selection to cater to different tastes and needs (Standard 6.3.1). 

• All meals are fortified with extra energy and high-quality protein and comply with IDDSI Level 4 & 5 Diets for those requiring texture modification for easier chewing and swallowing (Standards 6.2.1 & 6.1). 

• With a wide range of flavour profiles and menu options, Pure Foods meals encourage eating, while ensuring proper texture and temperature (Standard 6.3.3). 

• Pure Food stocks 56 individual snack, lunch and dinner products Australia-wide, with a modular format allowing for eating little and often throughout the day (Standards 6.3.2 & 6.3.4). 

• Care facilities that use the Pure Food system streamline processes and reduce food waste, increasing resources that can be redirected to further improve services (Standard 6.4.1). 

• Pure Foods partners with aged care homes and hospitals nationwide, assisting with implementation, staff training (Standard 6.2), and menu planning to meet residents’ needs (Standard 6.3.1). 

By adopting the Pure Foods system, care providers comply with other parts of the new standards as well, including Standard 5.5.2, requiring the implementation of processes that support safe chewing and swallowing.  

As Australia’s largest supplier of fortified meals, The Pure Food Co is the national specialist in delivering first-class meal experiences for those with eating challenges. 

Contact Pure Foods to learn more about how our restaurant-quality meals, diverse options, and expertise in implementation and training can transform your residents’ dining experience and help you comply with the new standards. 

Timeline Update  

The rollout of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards in Australia was initially scheduled for July 1, 2024. However, it’s now likely that the introduction of the revised quality standards will be pushed back to 2025.