Australian aged‑care quality indicators reveal rising hospitalisations

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released its quarterly Quality Indicator report on 17 July 2026, covering January to March 2026 data from 2,509 residential aged‑care homes. The report shows that hospital‑related measures – emergency‑department presentations alone and combined with hospital admissions – have risen significantly over 19 quarters, making it the only adverse‑outcome indicator moving backwards.

In contrast, several other indicators have improved markedly since July 2021, including pressure injuries, unplanned weight loss, polypharmacy and antipsychotic use, all of which have declined to statistically significant degrees. Restrictive‑practice indicators have remained flat, and total falls have not changed, although falls resulting in major injury have decreased. Analysts note that the mixed pattern may reflect broader sector trends such as higher resident acuity, reduced GP access, and evolving clinical escalation practices, though no causal link is confirmed in the data.

The AIHW emphasizes that flat numbers on certain indicators likely reflect inherent properties of the measures rather than isolated organisational performance, urging boards and managers to interpret these trends in the context of sector‑wide dynamics.