The National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines outline practical changes that residential aged care providers can make to improve residents’ quality of life and to support safe workplaces for staff.   

This new resource helps aged care providers and designers to create accessible and dementia-friendly spaces through design.  

The Principles and Guidelines are presented in an easy-to-read format with supporting illustrations, scenarios, and checklists. They suggest a range of low-cost changes for existing homes, through to more substantial features for new buildings. 

The design changes will give older people, including those with dementia, a sense of home, better access to the outdoors and connection with their community. 

The Principles and Guidelines have been: 

• Created in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety 

• Created in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including older people, their families and carers, the aged care sector and design and technical experts 

• Referenced in the Final Report of the Aged Care Taskforce in reference to the need for high-quality accommodation 

• Tested in a recent aged care design ideas competition. 

The Australian Government encourages aged care providers and design experts to refer to the Principles and Guidelines to inform future design activities, including refurbishing existing aged care homes building or building new homes. 

Explore the National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines to learn what good aged care design looks like or learn more about how we’re improving aged care accommodation.