One year on, implementation continues. This update outlines the changes introduced, the support available to older people and the areas where more work is needed.
The Act followed several years of aged care reform after the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released its final report in March 2021. Since then, government, aged care providers and workers, older people, families, carers and the broader aged care sector have contributed to changes across the aged care system.
Many of these changes are now part of the aged care system, including changes to:
- the Support at Home program
- regulation and governance
- access and assessment pathways
- residential aged care funding
- workforce capability and care quality.
Rights-based care
The Statement of Rights sets out the rights of older people accessing funded aged care services.
For many older people, important parts of aged care include:
- accessing services
- getting clear, understandable information
- being involved in care decisions
- having culture and identity respected
- staying connected to community.
Learn more about how aged care is delivering quality, rights-based care.
Better choice and transparency
Older people have more choice and more access in-home aged care than ever before. Support at Home ongoing services have increased by 20 per cent in the last year to meet demand from older people to remain living independently in their home.
From choosing a provider to understanding the costs to aged care, the My Aged Care website helps older people, their families and carers to make informed care decisions. This includes information about:
- provider prices and operations
- the aged care assessment process, including the Integrated Assessment Tool
- fees, costs and contributions.
Clear information helps older people to:
- make aged care choices and decisions
- find the provider that best fits their needs and preferences.
Continuing to improve
Implementation of the aged care reforms continue. The Australian Government and department agencies are continuing to work with older people, aged care providers and workers and the broad sector to identify opportunities and make improvements.
Recent changes include:
- moving the Support at Home personal care contribution into the clinical category
- extending the Commonwealth Home Support Program
- providing a second block of End-of-Life Pathway funding.
There is more work to do. Assessment wait times remain a significant concern and improving access is a key focus. Importantly, assessment data shows continued improvement since 1 November last year. Assessment completion rates have increased each quarter, from 127,649 assessments between October and December 2025 to 140,028 between April and June 2026.
As the reforms continue to mature, the focus remains on an aged care system that can respond to the needs of older people in Australia now and into the future.
