Deterioration Early Warning System - implementation update
From April 2026, the Deterioration Early Warning System (DEWS) will be integrated into day-to-day practice by the first group of aged residential care facilities participating in the Commission’s DEWS implementation project.
DEWS is an evidence-based, New Zealand developed suite of tools co-designed to support aged residential care staff to recognise and respond early when a resident may be becoming acutely unwell.
Preparation for implementation began in December 2025 with facilities who expressed an interest in taking part working through a guided and structured quality improvement process. This included engaging a governance structure, project planning, staff education and training as well as measuring and reporting impact.
One hundred and twenty-two facilities are now starting to use the system, meaning approximately a quarter of the people who live in aged residential care will have their health monitored by staff using DEWS.
The Commission is currently working with a range of resident management system vendors to integrate DEWS into their digital systems. Further implementation opportunities for facilities seeking to participate in DEWS will be phased according to system and aged residential care provider readiness, with Phase Two expected to commence in the second half of 2026. Taking a structured quality improvement approach to implementation with the support of the Commission will help ensure DEWS is introduced safely and consistently.