In response to the recommendations in the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Department of Health and Aged Care has now expanded the aged National Quality Indicators Program to incorporate several non-clinical measures, including the measurement of quality of care experience and quality of life. This expanded Quality Indicator program will roll out in residential aged care nationally from April 2023.

 

The instruments selected to measure these constructs are the Quality of life – Aged Care Consumers (QOL-ACC) and the Quality of Care Experience – Aged Care Consumers (QCE-ACC). Both instruments were developed by researchers at the Caring Futures Institute at Flinders University.

 

The QOL-ACC was developed for both home care and residential aged care and, as it is preference- based, can be used for economic evaluation as well as a quality indicator. Australian aged care providers can access the tools via the Department of Health and Aged Care website. The instruments can also be licensed for use by other organisations and are free to use for academic researchers.

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