Participate in DEWS
We are inviting aged residential care facilities to register their interest to implement the Deterioration Early Warning System (DEWS).
DEWS is designed to support health care staff working in aged residential care to identify and respond to a person who could be acutely unwell.
It was developed through a co-design project with aged residential care providers and funded by the Ageing Well National Science Challenge.
In 2024, DEWS was successfully tested in five ARC facilities as part of a feasibility study. We are now preparing for a phased national roll-out to implement DEWS.
DEWS implementation approach
Implementation will be phased to accommodate facility readiness and digital capability.
Phase one includes facilities:
- using electronic resident management systems with DEWS embedded by mid-February 2026
- ready to implement paper-based DEWS.
A DEWS network will be established for phase one participants, including fortnightly meetings with the national DEWS project leadership team and tailored implementation support.
Indicative timeline
| Date | Activity |
| Mid-October to early November 2025 | Expression of interest applications close COB 10 Nov 2025. |
| Mid-November 2025 |
Confirmation of phase one facilities DEWS network established |
| December 2025 to March 2026 | Participating facilities complete preparation activities: escalation pathway development, staff education, data collection |
| April 2026 | DEWS integrated into daily workflows |
| May to June 2026 | Phase one wrap-up: post-implementation surveys and feedback; Continue data collection and reporting |
| From July 2026 | Continue data collection and reporting to the Commission for ongoing DEWS monitoring and impact assessment |
As additional resident management systems incorporate digital DEWS, further phases will be supported. Phase two roll-out may happen within phase one timeframes as digital DEWS become available in resident management systems and the national team has capacity.
Participants' responsibilities
Participating facilities will be required to:
- establish a project team (project lead, clinical lead, and multidisciplinary members)
- collect baseline data
- conduct weekly audits on tool usage
- provide monthly outcome data reporting and facility case studies
- deliver staff education using provided resources and online learning modules
- facilitate staff completion of pre- and post-implementation surveys
- attend fortnightly virtual DEWS network meetings
- participate in post-implementation activities (eg, focus groups, surveys)
- carry out ongoing quarterly data collection and reporting beyond implementation for up to two years.
Support from the national DEWS project leadership team
The national DEWS project leadership team includes DEWS clinical experts, programme manager, project manager, quality improvement advisor and project coordinator. Participating facilities will receive:
- a comprehensive DEWS implementation package with supporting resources
- access to the DEWS online learning modules and digital or paper-based tools
- fortnightly network meetings
- one-on-one virtual support and site visits as needed.
Register your interest
To register your interest in implementing DEWS, please complete application form by 10 November 2025.
Contact us
For further information or queries, please contact us at
Published: 13 Oct 2025
Modified: 15 Oct 2025
