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.
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.
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.
Infection prevention and control (IPC) operational readiness
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A self-assessment checklist to ensure your service is supporting an IPC program.
IPC location-based guidance
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A tool that can be used by both residential and home care providers to help you easily and quickly access key pieces of information and reference materials on infection prevention and control, as you need them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
IPC resource collection
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A website portal to the most relevant state or territory links to commonwealth and state or territory aged care specific IPC guidance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Resource library
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A collection of resources for aged care providers.
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.
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.
Antimicrobial stewardship
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
A short video explaining the relationship between infections, antimicrobials, antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship.
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.
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.