Best practice

AGED CARE QUALITY STANDARDS

Organisations providing Commonwealth subsidised aged care services are required to comply with the Aged Care Quality Standards. These standards focus on outcomes for consumers and reflect the level of care and services the community can expect.

STRENGTHENING PALLIATIVE CARE PROVISION

Reviewing and strengthening key policies and procedures will provide a strong foundation to support best palliative care practice.

  • Analyse your organisation’s current performance in palliative care and advance care planning processes and identify areas for improvement.
  • Identify external experts that your organisation might partner with to review policies and procedure (e.g. community palliative care).
  • Work together with partners to review policies and procedures and define palliative care and advance care planning improvement goals and performance measures.

Click here to access the ELDAC website for more information:

ADVANCE CARE PLANNING/PALLIATIVE CARE CHAMPIONS

A champion can be anyone within your organisation who has a passion to promote best practice in palliative care.

Key responsibilities could include:

  • Act as an ambassador for palliative care and Advance Care Planning.
  • Promote and review how palliative care and Advance Care Planning is being provided.
  • Act as a resource for other staff, residents and family.
  • Assist with or coordinate palliative care and Advance Care Planning quality improvement activities.

Click here for identifying palliative care and advance care planning champions.

ELDAC FACILITATED PROGRAM

ELDACs team of facilitators support and enable health and aged care workers to provide best quality care for older Australians and their families at the end of life. There is further information at ELDAC Working Together Program.

ELDAC’s ORGANISATIONAL AUDITS

Click here for ELDAC’s approach to quality improvement and audit tools.

PALLIATIVE CARE OUTCOMES COLLABORATION (PCOC) IN AGED CARE

PCOC is a national palliative care outcomes and benchmarking program implemented across Australia.

Click here for link.

Palliative Aged Care Outcomes Program (PACOP) is modifying the PCOC tools for use in residential aged care.

This work will assist in improving palliative care outcomes in residents, their carers and families. It provides a routine screening, assessment and response model to be used with each resident.

Click here for link.