The Australian Government has confirmed that the new Aged Care Act 2024, initially scheduled for July 2025, commenced on
1 November 2025. The act aims to strengthen the rights of older Australians, simplify access to services, and enhance accountability across the aged care system.

What’s changing?

The new Act aims to make aged care more person-centred, transparent and easier to navigate. Together, these reforms mark a major update to Australia’s aged care system, with a focus on improving safety, fairness and respect for older Australians.

Key changes include:

• A legally enforceable Statement of Rights that places the wellbeing and dignity of older Australians at the center of care, giving individuals clear rights to make decisions about their care and mechanisms to raise concerns.
• A single entry point to aged care, simplifying how people access services and ensuring consistent and straightforward assessments of eligibility.
• A new Support at Home program to streamline home -based care and align funding with individual needs.
• The introduction of registered supporters, allowing older people to formally appoint trusted individuals to assist them in making care decisions.
• A culturally safe assessment framework to ensure services are respectful, inclusive and appropriate for all individuals, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Stronger regulatory oversight with clearer obligations for providers, enabling the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to monitor, enforce and improve care standards more effectively.
• Operational and compliance updates, including the preparation of required forms, contract reviews, inspection readiness, financial reporting, and emergency planning.

Who is affected?

• Older Australians and their families – Existing programs, including the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and Home Care Packages, will remain until the new Support at Home framework is introduce. The Act promises improved access, simpler processes and stronger protections for older Australians.
• Aged care providers and staff

Advocacy groups and industry partners What providers should be doing

• With the act now enabled, providers should have ensured that Internal policies and procedures reflect the legally enforceable Statement of Rights, eligibility processes and assessment frameworks.
• Staff training and compliance programs are current, especially in cultural safety, rights‐based care and the new legal obligations under the Act.
• Contracts and operational workflows are compliant with reporting requirements, assessment frameworks, and regulatory obligations.
• Forms and documentation, including individual care plans, inspection readiness documents, and emergency procedures have been reviewed
• Digital systems and operational workflows are aligned to new reporting, assessment and oversight standards, so systems can capture required data, support single entry point access, eligibility determinations, culturally safe assessments and compliance with regulatory obligations.
• Financial planning and reporting frameworks have been reviewed, including budgets, asset management, and capital maintenance where applicable.

Taking these steps early will help providers transition smoothly and demonstrate readiness when the reforms take effect.

How we can help

Our team works closely with clients to navigate these changes, ensuring organisations are well-prepared for the new regulatory landscape. We can support wit:

• Current auditing services, including financial statement audits and Annual Prudential Compliance Statement (APCS) audits
• New Care Minutes Performance Statement audit (applying from FY26)
• Operational compliance support, including contract reviews, documentation and preparation for inspections