What to Include in a Weekly Consumables Audit for Aged‑Care Facilities

Running out of gloves or continence pads in residential aged care is never a minor inconvenience. It places residents at risk, pushes staff to improvise and exposes the provider to findings of non‑compliance under the Aged Care Quality Standards. A disciplined weekly audit keeps cupboards stocked, budgets predictable and regulators satisfied. This article breaks down the process so that facility managers and procurement officers can introduce it without fuss.

Why Should Managers Conduct a Weekly Audit?

Consumables in aged care turn over quickly. Hand sanitiser, surface wipes and examination gloves disappear every shift. A 2024 Department of Health review reported that homes auditing consumables every seven days lodged forty per cent fewer emergency PPE orders than services counting once a month. Fewer rush orders mean calmer staff and tighter budgets.

Regular audits also satisfy the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Assessors ask for evidence that a service maintains adequate, in date supplies of hygiene products, personal protective equipment and continence aids that meet Standards 3, 4 and 8. A month‑by‑month audit log shows foresight and good governance.

The weekly cadence captures usage trends as well. If the home suddenly burns through large size briefs or P2 respirators, the spreadsheet tells the story before shelves are empty.

Before you start, set up a simple system

You do not need a complex inventory platform to run a tight ship, though software helps at scale. What you do need is a clear list of every consumable item, a realistic par level for each item and one hour in the calendar to count stock and place orders.

1. Map every storage location

Walk the facility from the front door to the back dock. Note each cupboard, trolley and high shelf that holds consumables. Audits fail when items drift into odd corners, such as a single box of gowns stored behind a hoist charger.

2. Set realistic par levels

A par level is the quantity you want on the shelf at all times. Develop the level by looking at average weekly usage plus a safety buffer. If the home uses ten litres of hand sanitiser each week, set par at fifteen. The extra third covers public holiday freight delays, minor outbreaks and supplier backlogs.

3. Choose a count sheet

A single spreadsheet suits most facilities. List the item, the par level, the current count and the quantity to reorder. Staff fill in the sheet on audit day. Procurement sends the purchase order that afternoon. Keep the sheet on a shared drive so everyone sees the numbers.

The three critical categories

Hygiene supplies

Hygiene products protect residents and staff from everyday pathogens. The Infection Prevention and Control Guide published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care states that point‑of‑care hand hygiene is essential. Alcohol based hand rub, liquid soap cartridges, paper towels and wipes must never run dry.

• Hand hygiene stations. Count every sanitiser bottle and soap refill. Confirm dispensers work and are labelled. Replace cracked units because they collect bacteria.

• Environmental cleaning agents. Surface disinfectant sprays and wipes, bathroom cleaners, mop heads, detergent and bin liners belong here. Check use by dates on chemicals and make sure safety data sheets are current.

• Paper goods. Toilet rolls, tissue boxes and single use cloths move fast. Many homes line storage bins with red tape at the reorder mark. If stock sits below the stripe, staff flag it for purchase.
  
  

Judith O’Neill, an infection control consultant and Fellow of the ACIPC, notes that environmental cleaning equals PPE in importance during an outbreak. She advises that the audit is proof that the cleaning trolley is never the weak link.

Medical and PPE supplies

The COVID‑19 pandemic highlighted the danger of thin PPE cupboards. The Department of Health now expects providers to hold enough masks, gowns and gloves to manage at least forty eight hours of an outbreak while resupply is arranged. Weekly audits verify that buffer.

• Gloves - Track by size. Medium usually empties fastest, but small and extra large matter too. If any size falls below half its par level between audits, treat the shortage as urgent.

• Masks and respirators - Store surgical masks and P2 or N95 respirators separately and rotate by expiry date - Write the month and year in thick marker on outer cartons so the oldest faces forward.

• Eye and face protection - Goggles scratch easily, so swap out fogged lenses during the count. Face shields stack neatly in cartons. Note cracks and discard damaged items.

• Gowns and aprons - Plastic aprons serve routine spills, while long sleeved gowns are held for droplet and airborne precautions. Keep both in clearly labelled tubs so staff select the correct garment under pressure.

• Clinical disposables - Wound care dressings, saline pods, sharps containers, cannulation kits and glucose test strips round out this list. Anything in sterile packaging must carry an unexpired date stamp.
  
  

Continence products

Continence care supports dignity, skin integrity and infection prevention. The Continence Foundation of Australia advises that products be readily available and matched to the individual’s assessed need, without rationing. Weekly audits make that happen.

Disposable briefs and pull ups: Track each size and absorbency separately. A resident who uses three large night briefs per shift will drain stock quickly if you misjudge the count.

Bed and chair protectors: Disposable blueys reduce laundry loads and protect mattresses. They often sit in linen storerooms, so add those shelves to the audit route.

Barrier creams and peri care wipes: Skin friendly cleansers prevent dermatitis. Count tubes and tubs. Check for separation or rancid odours if stored in warm cupboards.

Complete Wholesale Suppliers partners with many New South Wales care centres to deliver bulk adult nappies and related hygiene consumables on fixed weekly runs. This schedule fits neatly with a Monday audit cycle.

Step by Step Walkthrough of Auditing Day

1. Print or open the spreadsheet. Note the date and your name. Two staff counting together minimise errors.

2. Start at one end of the facility and move methodically. Tick off each cupboard and trolley. If you find an item not on the sheet, add it on the spot.

3. Use whole units for ease. Count boxes of gloves, cartons of wipes and packets of briefs. Partial boxes invite confusion.

4. Check expiry dates while your hand is on the carton. Anything expiring within sixty days moves to the front so it is used first. Anything already expired is quarantined and logged.

5. Write the reorder quantity immediately. Par level minus current count equals the order figure. Round up to full cartons.

6. Escalate shortages. If the cupboard holds zero of a critical item, alert the clinical lead before you finish. The team may need to borrow from another wing.

7. File and order. Scan the sheet into your quality management system. Generate the purchase order and send it that afternoon. Waiting a day breaks the cycle.
   
   

Turn numbers into insight

Usage rate - Over a month, divide total units used by weeks to find the true weekly burn. If you counted eighty boxes of gloves on the first of June, ordered twenty during the month and counted sixty on the last day, you used forty boxes in four weeks. The home burns ten boxes per week. Use that figure to fine tune par levels.

Order lead time -  Measure the days between sending the purchase order and cartons landing on the dock. Track this for your main supplier and your backup. If lead time stretches, raise the buffer.

Mary Khoury, Director of Nursing at a regional Victorian home, recalls that multiple suppliers saved her facility during the 2022 flu season. The primary distributor ran short of large gowns. Because the home already held an account with Complete Wholesale Suppliers, stock arrived within forty eight hours and care continued without interruption.

Compliance points you must meet

Standard 3 Personal and Clinical Care - Auditors expect to see residents receiving timely continence care with suitable products. An empty pad cupboard signals risk.

Standard 4 The Environment - A clean, safe environment relies on ready access to disinfectants and paper goods. Count and store chemicals safely, away from food preparation areas.

Standard 8 Governance - Boards must manage risk, including supply disruption. A documented weekly audit paired with a fourteen day PPE buffer demonstrates sound governance.

The Commission now publishes non compliance decisions online. A single shortfall found during an unannounced visit can undermine community trust.

Common audit mistakes and how to fix them

Bringing it all together

Remember the rhythm: Count, Record, Order, Review. Do the audit every week at the same time and document everything. Use par levels that reflect true usage and adjust them each quarter. Maintain a fourteen day buffer for critical PPE and continence pads. Rotate stock, check expiry dates and store chemicals safely.

A weekly consumables audit might feel like another chore in a busy week, yet it underpins every other task. Clean hands require sanitiser. Safe care requires gloves that fit. Dignity requires a dry pad when it is needed. The hour spent counting on Monday morning prevents desperate phone calls on Friday night.

Complete Wholesale Suppliers simplifies ordering by consolidating medical, hygiene and continence consumables into one delivery. This arrangement reduces truck movements and paperwork while leaving staff free to focus on resident care.

Final Thoughts

Aged care is human work. It involves hands washed dozens of times a day, linens changed without fuss and skin kept healthy with the right product at the right moment. A weekly consumables audit is the backstage plan that supports that care. Put the system in place, run it without fail and both compliance scores and staff confidence will rise.

References

• Australian Department of Health, Winter Preparedness Review, Canberra, 2024.

• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Strengthened Quality Standards, Draft Guidance, 2025.

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Aged Care Infection Prevention and Control Guide, 2024.

• Continence Foundation of Australia, Continence in Residential Aged‑Care Services, 2023.