The Australian Consortium for Aged Care, consisting of the nation’s leading aged care researchers, has been launched to help provide ‘evidence-based innovations’ for industry reform.

The consortium is a joint undertaking by the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) at Macquarie University, the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, the Centre for Health Services Research at the University of Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology.

The ACAC will provide answers to critical research questions that help underpin and inform policy changes and responses to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s recommendations, which were handed down last week.

ACAC’s work will build on extensive experience in aged care, quality and safety monitoring, healthcare, quality use of medicines, and other important areas within the sector.

Evidence-based indicators will be used to evaluate the performance of a residential aged care facility, including resident outcomes, health and wellbeing for example.

The consortium said its mission statement was to deliver safe, high-quality, individualised care that improves quality of life, care, and health outcomes for Australia’s aged care population.